Striking workers overwhelmingly reject tentative agreement at battery supplier for GM, Ford

Workers at a Clarios vehicle battery plant near Toledo voted down a tentative contract agreement by 75.8 percent, a top union official said Monday.

The ratification vote on the tentative agreement by the UAW rank and file took place after a discussion this morning, said David Green, director of UAW Region 2B.

“The members have spoken, ” Green said. “We will be listening to the members to better understand their demands.”

The proposed agreement offered wage increases, a flexible work schedule and a cash bonus, said Kris Sherman, director of communications for Clarios.

“We are disappointed our represented employees did not ratify the agreement, despite the endorsement of the UAW bargaining committee,” Sherman said. “We are committed to continuing to operate the facility to support our customers and we are evaluating next steps.”

About 400 members of UAW Local 12 struck the General Motors and Ford supplier on May 8 after an earlier contract proposal was voted down. Overtime pay is a key issue for striking workers.

The Lucas County Court of Common Pleas in Ohio issued a restraining order May 12 to prevent pickets from disrupting business operations and creating unsafe conditions on the picket line.

Clarios, of Milwaukee, formerly part of Johnson Controls Inc., ranks No. 75 on Automotive News' list of the top 100 global suppliers, with estimated parts sales to automakers worldwide of $2.5 billion in its fiscal 2021.

Meanwhile, about 160 workers at a Constellium aluminum components plant in suburban Detroit continue to strike over workplace safety and compensation concerns. The strike began Wednesday, May 17, against the Ford supplier.

Bargaining continued last week, but no meeting was scheduled with Constellium on Monday, said Michael Shumaker, the UAW strike coordinator. Striking workers are awaiting additional availability from the company, he said.

The plant is in Van Buren, Mich., just west of Detroit. Constellium, of Paris, France, ranks No. 84 on Automotive News' list of the top 100 global parts suppliers, with estimated worldwide sales to automakers of $1.9 billion in its 2021 fiscal year.