Mack Trucks fired back at the striking United Auto Workers, saying it is “not prepared to jeopardize the company” to meet the union’s new economic demands.
Talks resumed Thursday in the 11-day-old strike by 3,900 workers in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida. The union’s new demands did not sit well with the company.
“Unfortunately, the new UAW economic demands are completely unrealistic,” Mack President Stephen Roy said in a news release late Thursday. “We’ve already shown that we’re prepared to provide our employees with significantly improved wages. But we are not prepared to jeopardize the company.”
UAW-represented employees voted 73% against a tentative agreement endorsed by local bargainers and UAW International officials.
Mack: UAW ‘ignoring three months of good-faith bargaining’
The demands “seemingly return to day one of negotiations and ignore three months of good-faith bargaining between the parties,” Roy said.
The strike began Oct. 8 at six Volvo Group facilities. They include the Lower Macungie, Pennsylvania, assembly plant that makes all Mack heavy-duty commercial trucks in North America. Mack is part of Volvo Group North America.
An engine plant in Hagerstown, Maryland, and parts distribution centers in Baltimore and Jacksonville, Florida, also are on strike.
Knock-on strike effects at Volvo avoided so far
Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) production in Dublin, Virginia, is so far unaffected. The assembly complex in New River Valley (NRV) makes heavy-duty Volvo VNL and VNR models. The plant also builds the battery-powered VNR Electric day cab.
“Thus far, we’ve managed to minimize the impact to our aftermarket parts support,” Mack spokesperson Kimberly Pupillo said in an email. “The strike has not affected NRV production, but could if it is prolonged.”
A 12-day UAW walkout at Mack in 2019 forced VTNA to halt production because of a lack of engines. The slowing state of Class 8 tractor demand may spare the plant from downtime this time.
“Current weak freight fundamentals and largely sated pent-up tractor market demand make the case for caution,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT Research president and senior analyst.
A nonunion Mack medium-duty truck plant in Roanoke, Virginia, is unaffected by the strike. The company builds Class 6 and 7 MD Series trucks there.
Mack hoped to stay out of UAW skirmish with Detroit Three
Mack wanted to fly below the radar in its union negotiations and stay clear of a UAW strike against the Detroit Three automakers that began Sept. 15.
Now it appears the union, encouraged by defeated Mack worker and unsuccessful UAW International presidential candidate Will Lehman and a Socialist rank-and-file committee, has intertwined the Mack strike with brinkmanship in Detroit. There are 34,000 of 146,000 UAW members striking selected GM, Ford and Stellantis plants while other plants are operating.
UAW International President Sean Fain visited Local 677 in Pennsylvania last weekend. Lehman, meanwhile, walked picket lines in the Detroit area.
Mack said it looks forward to “more realistic proposals” from the union when the two sides resume talks on Monday.
Related articles:
Mack Trucks and striking UAW resume talks Thursday
UAW employees will strike at Mack Trucks after rejecting contract
Commentary: How Socialist agitating helped tank Mack-UAW deal
Click for more FreightWaves articles by Alan Adler.
Ken Kramer
Volvo car sold to China, Truck/bus may go the same way. It’s always about the money. And NO union’s to deal with.
Ken Kramer
Mack shut it down. Relocate to non union state. The quality has declined big time last couple of years. Orders are down. But other heavy truck manufacturing nationwide is way down also. High labor costs high fuel costs, shrinking freight rates. Don’t be surprised if Mack moves to another State. When it comes to the money, Volvo/Mack will do what’s best for the Company. Already have lot’s of heavy truck’s being manufactured in Mexico. Freightliner, International, have been for year’s now. No big deal if Mack joins that list.
Ken Kramer
I’m an outside the loop, contractor at Mack. I’ve been dealing with Mack 16 year’s. First off, these people have very good jobs, benefits, health care. And the worker’s are gonna lose the job’s. In the real world, truck orders are way down with all the truck manufacturing nationwide. High fuel costs shrinking freight rates. In short, the attitude is changing against the worker’s. But stupid is as stupid does. And let your Socialists union leader’s save you. Remember go woke go broke. Unemployment coming on a permanent basis to your neighborhood. And your to stupid to see it. Good luck, but the majority of the worker’s voted Biden.
edward l getz
there is no power when the company is desenegrated leaving all with nothing.
David1958
What’s ironic, is that US auto workers are already some of the highest paid blue collar workers in the world. But apparently they don’t appreciate it. They do a job anyone with average intelligence can do. I’ve decided that as long as there’s an alternative to the Big 3, I’ll never buy another vehicle from any of them.
Richard Davis
All of these plants should just shut it down, you’re already taking the financial hit anyway, why be held hostage. Tell the UAW, that everyone needs to get their personal items together, because the plants are being shut down and as of the end of the week they will no longer have access. The companies are now reorganizing and restructuring and we’ll let you know if we need you. Let the UAW go back to their 146,000 members and tell them they just lost their jobs, and see how that goes over. I would be willing to bet the UAW doesn’t have a sufficient strike fund to cover all of their members for very long, which is why they only have 34,000 members out on strike. There comes a time when enough is enough, and it just gets ridiculous. I would bet, they would be back to the bargaining table within the week, and not with the current deal, but a whole new deal benefitting the companies. Thanks to Biden, there’s a whole lot of able bodied young men in this country looking for jobs, that don’t care about unions, they just want to work. Unions are great when it comes to worker benefits and safety, but greed is what always takes over and destroys everything. These companies are eventually going to pay the price for this greed, as well as UPS in the teamster deal. Sooner or later the companies will be gone, but so will the workers great paying jobs, so who wins in the end? When no one can afford to buy a new car, we don’t need anyone to build them, it’s that simple. I say shut it down!
Tyler Monsic
What’s concerning is the build quality of the macks from 2022 – 2024 year models.
Panels dent, Not painted correctly, Peeling paint.
Def System replacement needed within 6k miles, Brand new trucks.
Too many issues to count with these Macks. We are thinking of selling and getting rid of our 2022+ Macks.
ds
So when their jobs go to Mexico than they complain “they took our jobs away”. I am all for fairness in labor but this is second level BS from UAW lately. Mack was more than fair in their deal, and of course much of the increases will be passed on to the trucker.