3,600 UAW-affiliated Mack Trucks workers go out on strike

Over 3,600 Mack Trucks employees represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union went on strike on Sunday to protest treatment they called unfair. It’s the first strike against the truck manufacturer since 1984.

Mack workers aired a long list of grievances that will sound familiar if you’ve followed the UAW’s bitter, five-week-long strike against General Motors. They’re seeking better wages, an improved pension, a more lucrative 401(k) plan, better health coverage, and more job security. Subcontracting, the use of temporary/supplemental employees, overtime, and seniority also appear on their list of unresolved issues with their employer. Autoblog reached out to the UAW for more details.

Workers feel Mack isn’t sharing the fruits of its recent success with those who made it happen.

“The last four years, we have helped Mack Truck make significant profit through our work. All we are asking is that the company treat us with the dignity and respect we deserve in making them successful,” said Doug Irvine, Mack Truck Council’s president, in a statement.

The strike is affecting production at two Mack plants in Pennsylvania, two additional factories in Maryland, and one more in Florida. It’s difficult to predict how long it will last, but Ray Curry, the director of the UAW’s heavy truck department, expressed hope that Mack and its UAW-represented members will find a common ground.