JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida Central Labor Council and other groups joined local autoworkers on the picket line Friday in a show of solidarity.
Members of the United Auto Workers at the Volvo parts distribution center on Jacksonville’s Westside walked out Monday morning over contract negotiations with Volvo subsidy Mack Trucks.
The strike came after the UAW rejected a tentative five-year collective bargaining agreement for about 4,000 workers.
The Jacksonville distribution center is one of three Mack Truck locations striking. Although there are just 27 UAW members working at the Jacksonville location, there are thousands of others also on picket lines in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
“With inflation around the country, and especially in this city with rent and everything else, we’re fighting for...better wages to accommodate that,” said UAW Local 2420 vice president Nick Mathis.
Several Labor Council members joined autoworkers on the picket line at the Volvo parts distribution center on the city’s Westside at 1 p.m. Friday in the biggest local show of support for autoworkers yet.
“I’m with the National Association of Letter Carriers,” North Florida Central Labor Council vice president Maceo George told News4JAX Friday. “And we are here today to show our support with our UAW workers, that we support them 100% in trying to get a fair contract.
“All involved know that this is a pivotal moment in the modern Jacksonville labor movement and are excited to show the true power of workers when they are no longer valued,” the North Florida Labor Council said in a news release.
Earlier this week, UAW members voted against a proposed contract that offered a 19% raise over five years.
“It’s not good enough,” Mathis said. “You look at inflation, what we lost like four years ago…it wouldn’t put us back to where we need to be at. So I’m pretty sure everything gonna keep increasing, and we will still behind the gun.”
Disagreements between the company and the union remain on work schedules, health and safety, pensions, health care, overtime and more.
“We are surprised and disappointed that the UAW has chosen to strike, which we feel is unnecessary,” said Mack president Stephen Roy. “We clearly demonstrated our commitment to good faith bargaining by arriving at a tentative agreement that was endorsed by both the International UAW and the UAW Mack Truck Council.”
Roy said Mack looks forward to returning to negotiations as soon as possible.
“We are committed to the collective bargaining process, and remain confident that we will be able to arrive at an agreement that delivers competitive wages and benefits for our employees and their families while safeguarding our future as a competitive company and stable long-term employer,” Roy said.