Cincinnati, Oh – After an intense, two-week Strike, United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 647 Members employed at General Electric (GE) Aerospace have secured a strong tentative agreement with the company.
The major victory comes just after the strike’s two-week anniversary and was won via the solidarity of more than 600 Cincinnati-area Workers employed at GE’s Erlanger, Kentucky and Evendale, Ohio facilities.
UAW Members in Evendale build marine and industrial engines for the U.S. Navy. In Erlanger, UAW Members are the distribution heart of GE Global – feeding plants all over the world.
The strike was the first UAW strike at GE since 1988.
“UAW Local (647) Members showed that you don’t beat a multi-billion-dollar company by backing down -you win by standing up and joining together in a common cause,” UAW President Shawn Fain said.
Of the three main sticking points that mobilized UAW Local 647 Members to stand firm when GE forced them to the streets at midnight on August 28th – job security, health care costs and time off, Workers secured victories on all fronts. The company will cover nearly all health care premium increases over the term of the contract and workers will receive additional vacation time. The deal also secures strong job security protections for both the Erlanger and Evendale locations. The tentative agreement covers a five-year term, with a ratification vote set for Friday (September 19th).
