“UAW Deal Passes: GM Workers End Contentious Vote with a Ratification

General Motors workers have voted to ratify a new four-year contract agreement between the United Automobile Workers union (UAW) and GM. Following several weeks of contentious negotiations that resulted in a tentative agreement being announced in late October, the vote on the contract has been counted, and the results were overwhelmingly in favor of ratification. The new deal gives GM employees an immediate 3% pay raise, as well as bonuses and other benefits such as additional vacations and daycare. Additionally, workers will also benefit from the company’s $19.2 billion dollar investment in United States manufacturing and job creation. The agreement also ends a two-tier wage system for GM employees, and provides temporary and entry-level employees with the opportunity to move up to more permanent positions. The agreement was ratified by an overwhelming 79.6% of the 54,000 eligible union members. While the negotiations leading up to the tentative agreement were often contentious, the result marks a victory for the union. In a statement following the vote, UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada was quoted as saying ‘The members have spoken and will be moving forward with a clear voice.’ The agreement between GM and UAW is expected to go a long way in not only providing the workers at General Motors with needed wages and benefits, and but also bring long-term stability to the company and its workforce.