CINCINNATI—After an intense, two-week strike, UAW Local 647 members at 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 courage and solidarity of over 600 Cincinnati-area workers between GE’s Erlanger, KY, and Evendale, OH facilities who held strong on the picket like 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“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,” said UAW President Shawn Fain.
Of the three main sticking points that mobilized UAW Local 647 members to stand firm when GE forced workers to the streets at midnight on August 28—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 Erlanger and Evendale locations, including minimum headcount and new work.
“I’m so proud of how UAW Local 647 stuck together,” said UAW Local 647 President Brian Strunk. “Our members held strong and had the courage to fight for more. Our bargaining team delivered on our members’ main demands: strong job security, more time off the job to spend with families, and money to offset the health care cost increase. My message to my entire UAW family: Continue to do the right thing, speak the truth, stand in unity, and you will prosper!”
The tentative agreement covers a five-year term, with a ratification vote set for Friday, September 19.
“Companies need to respect the UAW,” said UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green. “We’ve made a choice to do things differently as a union and our members at GE Aerospace are part of that. They knew they had to fight for a better contract today, in order to protect their tomorrow. I am proud of the resilience and grit Local 647’s members and leaders displayed to protect their future.”
Throughout the strike, GE workers shared their stories with local media, while keeping the full membership up to date with bargaining updates on the website and through text every day. This communication was critical in maintaining workers’ solidarity to secure a TA addressing the most critical concerns that led to the walk out.
“After 31 years at GE, I was tired of their corporate greed,” said Don Luknis, UAW Local 647 member, and strike captain out of GE’s Evendale facility. “I’m proud of our teamwork to keep each other going along the way. UAW Local 647 is a stronger union now than the day we walked out on strike against this corporate giant. One day longer, one day stronger!”
UAW members in Evendale, the larger facility, proudly 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.
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