Deere and Company employees this week again rejected a tentative contract agreement. By a vote of 45% yes to 55% no, United Auto Workers John Deere members voted down the agreement Tuesday night. UAW says the strike will continue as they discuss the next steps with the company. This is the second tentative contract agreement rejected by Deere workers.
The latest contract would have provided a 10% raise this year, 5% in 2023 and 2025, and lumpsum bonuses amounting to 3% of their pay for 2022, 2024, and 2026, according to Reuters. Deere would have invested another $3.5 billion in its employees, per the terms of the rejected agreement. More than 10,000 Deere employees in Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas remain on strike. This is the first strike against the Illinois-based company by the UAW since 1986, which lasted 163 days.
