The UAW strike at CNH, which impacts about 680 workers at the Mount Pleasant, and over 400 employees at the Burlington, Iowa, plants has been going on for seven months now. Citing a report in the the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Farm Equipment magazine reports that tensions are rising and there's no end in sight.
According to the article, it is one of the largest and longest strikes in the country and the two sides are so far apart that the bargaining committee has not brought a proposal to union membership to be voted on.
In a statement, CNH said the company is 'disappointed that despite our best efforts we have been unable to reach a tentative agreement for our employees.'
"Our last, best and final offer for our Racine, WI and Burlington, IA plants included significant wage increases, the addition of three new and different healthcare plans to choose from and many other enhanced benefits. Since April and throughout the UAW-initiated strike, we have been negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that is fair and reasonable to our employees, our company and our customers."
CNH recently appealed to workers through a full-page ad in the Racine Journal Times. The ad stated, 'Unfortunately after seven months of negotiations, we remain far apart on many important issues. Because of this lack of real progress, we presented the union with our last, best and final offer.'
Categories: Wisconsin, Business