UAW Allison Transmission workers threaten strike if demands aren’t met
UPDATE: Claire Gregory, director of global external communications with Allison Transmission, provided News 8’s Adam Pinsker with the following statement: “Allison Transmission is committed to providing competitive wages and benefits to all our employees, which includes those represented by the United Autoworkers Union (UAW). A team of Allison management and UAW Local 933 leaders have been and continue to bargain for an agreement that is beneficial for our workforce and the successful longevity of our company.”
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The union representing 1,500 workers at the Indianapolis Allison Transmission plant was back at the bargaining table this week.
The employees have been working without a labor contract since Nov. 14. On Dec. 1, its members rejected the company’s tentative offer because it did not meet the UAW’s core demands.
UAW Local 933 bargaining Chairperson George Freeman said employee wages are comparable to fast food workers.
“An assembler and an FMS operator, which is a fabricating machine specialist, these are the core jobs there,” Freeman said. “They start at $14.72 per hour.”
Allison makes transmissions for school busses, semitrucks, and the military. Freeman said if workers walk out, it could throw a wrench in a supply chain.
“We worked through COVID, we kept the doors open for Allison Transmission, we helped them make profits during their difficult times,” said Freeman.
The UAW also wants to abolish a two-tiered pay scale that has existed for almost a decade.
“A gentleman could be doing a fabricating machining job making $30 an hour, while a tier worker could come in making only $15 or $16 an hour,” said Freeman.
Some Allison workers are making so little money that they applied for government assistance. A public relations firm is stepping in to help push the union’s cause. UAW Local 933 released a video featuring Allison workers who are struggling to make ends meet.
Freeman said the UAW has momentum on their side after scoring big wins for Ford, GM, and Stellantis workers last fall.
“It’s not just with the UAW, it’s with other non-union shops as well that have been inspired also to say ‘Hey, you’re making record profits and we’re making meager wages,’” said Freeman.
The UAW has not set a date for a strike. Negotiations are expected to continue for the rest of the week. Allison did not respond when News 8 asked for comments.