Union Votes No On Proposal, Strike At John Deere Continues

Union members voted down a contract presented by negotiators for the United Auto Workers and John Deere. Union members cast their votes on the deal Tuesday. Nationally, the vote was 55% against the agreement, with 45% in support of it. In Dubuque, the vote was 63% against and 37% in favor of the deal. That means the strike will continue at John Deere locations. According to a report, the deal would have given raises throughout the duration of the contract. The first year had a 10 percent raise, with 5 percent increases in years 3 and 5 – as well as smaller raises in years 2, 4 and 6. Union officials said the contract had no changes regarding healthcare and there still appears to be some disagreement over retirement benefits.