RACINE, WI—After more than 260 days on strike, roughly 1,100 CNH Industrial workers in Wisconsin and Iowa are going back to work after a new contract was voted on and signed Jan. 21.
The details of the new contract, which extends until 2026, have not been revealed. On Jan. 23, the tractor manufacturer and United Auto Workers union revealed that U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh helped bring the two sides to the negotiating table.
The length of the strike has put pressure on workers and management, with some seeing the result as a success and others viewing it as not enough.
Workers at CNH facilities in Mount Pleasant, WI, and Burlington, IA, went on strike on May 2, 2022. That same day, the company brought in busloads of replacement workers to continue production.
The workers from United Auto Workers Local 180 in Mount Pleasant and Local 807 in Burlington picketed outside local facilities every day and night until the strike ended.
The two sides went months without talking before taking a vote on an offer from the company in mid-January. The workers rejected that proposal.
Workers have struggled to make ends meet while on strike. Other unions and members from the greater Racine community have donated money, food and toys to the workers while they were on strike.
Walsh stepped in to mediate discussions between the two sides and helped them get to an agreement. The meetings with the company and Walsh took place in Washington, D.C., in December.
While the details of the contract are not known, wages, healthcare and paid time off are some of the major factors involved.
