UAW workers walk out of Macungie Mack Truck plant after voting down tentative agreement
MACUNGIE, Pa. (CBS) -- Members of the United Auto Workers Union in Macungie joined nearly 4,000 fellow members in walking out of Mack Truck facilities across the United States Monday morning.
The car horns blared in the Lehigh Valley. That is how some drivers showed their support for striking UAW members in Macungie. The members usually help build the iconic brand of 18-wheelers at the Mack Truck facility there. However, union workers at all company plants nationwide walked out just days after union leaders and the company came to a tentative agreement for a new contract.
READ MORE: UAW members reject tentative contract deal with Mack Trucks, will go on strike early Monday
In a statement, company president Stephen Roy said:
"We clearly demonstrated our commitment to good faith bargaining by arriving at a tentative agreement that was endorsed by both the international UAW and the UAW Mack Truck Council."
However, Daniel Vicente, regional director of UAW District 9 said the union members get the final say.
"Whether or not to ratify a tentative agreement is not anybody in the UAW leadership's choice. It's the membership of this union," Vicente said.
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The company said they agreed to a 10% increase for all employees in the first year of the contract and a 20% raise over the next five years. Vicente said, that in this inflated economy, that would still leave many workers struggling.
"Milk is out of control. Gas is out of control. God forbid you got to put your kid in daycare. You're not going to be able to afford it," he said.
Vicente also said working conditions continue to be a major issue. Dennis Hower, president of the Teamsters Union Local 773, agreed. He came to the picket line as a show of support to UAW members.
"It's time for these corporations to stand up and start paying fair wages, decent benefits and great working conditions. That's what all these unions want. That's all we want," Hower said.
Members could get some company soon. The union said U.S. Sen. John Fetterman from Pennsylvania was scheduled to walk the picket lines Tuesday afternoon.
