UAW reaches tentative agreement with American Axle, ending strike

The United Auto Workers announced on Wednesday a tentative agreement with American Axle in Three Rivers, Michigan, ending a 10-day strike.

Full details on the agreement will be published at a later time; however, Josh Jagger, UAW Local 2093 chairperson at American Axle, said the agreement included paying workers $30 by 2030, no increase in healthcare premiums, more time off around Christmas, a $2,000 ratification bonus and the commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Veterans Day.

Additionally, workers with at least one year of employment will receive nine additional vacation days per year. 

"I am damn proud of this agreement, and I am damn proud to be a member of Local 2093," Jagger said in a livestream.

Union President Shawn Fain said on Wednesday that members will review the agreement before it is officially approved.

Members went on strike after their contracts ended on May 31, less than a month after voting to authorize a strike.

The UAW said many workers affected by the Great Recession in 2008 had their $29 hourly wages cut in half, and workers today sought to restore those wages.

"After 18 years of sacrifice, these workers are finally winning back a big chunk of what was taken from them," Fain said.

The company, also known as Dauch Corporation, is headquartered in Detroit and provides support for electric, hybrid, and internal combustion vehicles. It has been a Tier 1 parts supplier to General Motors in the last decade.

On May 21, the UAW filed Unfair Labor Practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing American Axle of threatening and intimidating union members ahead of the contract's expiration date.