INDIANAOPOLIS, IN — On Thursday, February 13, UAW members at Rolls-Royce voted by a resounding 99.5% to authorize a strike, if necessary, with 86% of the membership participating in the vote. The Indianapolis Rolls-Royce complex employs more than 800 UAW members and is the primary Rolls-Royce facility making aircraft engines for U.S. government contracts.
“This vote proves the UAW members at Rolls-Royce are fed up, united, and ready to win the fair contract they deserve,” said David Green, UAW Region 2B Director. “Our members are proud to build aircraft engines for our nation’s military, but it’s time for them to be treated with the same respect they bring to work every single day.”
The current contract expires on February 26, 2025. Contract negotiations are taking place during a period of profitability for Rolls-Royce. The company saw $2 billion in profits in 2023, up 144% over the previous year. Rolls-Royce’s CEO received $16.9 million in compensation that same year, a 255% increase compared to 2022. Around 30% of the company’s revenue comes from the U.S. market.
“UAW members at Rolls-Royce are standing up for the things that all workers deserve: fair pay, decent healthcare, retirement security, and equal treatment”, said John Snow, the Bargaining Chair at Rolls-Royce. “Newer workers at Rolls-Royce pay up to $16,000 just to provide healthcare to their families. Workers deserve equal pay and benefits for equal work.”
Rolls-Royce workers join other UAW members standing up to corporate greed. Currently, more than 4,000 members at Volkswagen are campaigning for a first contract in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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