Daimler, Unions Set Three-Year Pact at Portland Truck Plant
Daimler Trucks North America said it has reached new three-year collective bargaining agreements covering union workers at its truck plant in Portland, Ore.
The contracts, effective this month, cover employees represented by the Teamsters union, the Service Employees International Union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.
Tentative collective bargaining agreements were reached July 1 following extended negotiations between the company and the union, Daimler said in a statement.
The Portland Truck Manufacturing Plant manufactures Freightliner brand military vehicles as well as the company’s Western Star on-highway and severe-duty trucks. The plant employs about 680 workers, including nearly 640 union members.
In October 2008, DTNA announced the planned mid-2010 closure of the Portland plant, but those plans were shelved last September in favor of “second chance” contract discussions, the company said.
“These new contracts solidify our U.S. production footprint and position us to continue manufacturing operations in Portland well into the future,” said Martin Daum, DTNA’s chief executive officer.
“The negotiation process was challenging and required sacrifice and compromise from all parties involved. We would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to the leadership of the Portland unions and to our employees for their commitment to a productive dialog and a positive resolution,” he said in the statement.
The tentative agreements were ratified by local bargaining unit membership in separate meetings. Previous contracts were originally set to expire June 30 but were extended several days pending formal ratification of the new agreements.
The ratification of new collective bargaining agreements follows successful new contract negotiations at the company’s North Carolina and Michigan plants earlier this year, Daimler said.
