Workers support Blue Bird contract with USW union

Workers voted 97% in favor of the deal, according to the union.

Dan Flippo, director of the United Steelworkers’ Southeast unit, said the deal represented “significant gains” for workers.

The contract calls for all workers to receive raises of at least 12 percent, with the lowest paid employees receiving raises of more than 40 percent. The contract also establishes a “defined contribution plan” for the workers’ 401(k) plan.

The company would contribute to the 401(k) whether the worker did so or not, with the amount increasing as the worker’s tenure lengthened, the union said.

The profit-sharing component of the contract means workers will receive 4% of Blue Bird’s net income each year the company’s profit exceeds $30 million. That seems likely to pay off this year: Over the past six months, Blue Bird reported net profit of $52 million.

Politically, the contract provoked, as might be expected, divided reactions.

In a statement, President Joe Biden praised the United Steelworkers and Blue Bird “for proving once again that meeting our clean energy goals is an opportunity to create good-paying union jobs for American workers.” “.

He called the contract a “life-changing deal.”

In contrast, a statement from Gov. Brian Kemp’s office avoided direct mention of the union or Blue Bird. Instead, the statement affirmed pride in Georgia’s status as a “right to work” state, where the law prohibits unions from forcing their members to pay dues, even if the union is required to do so. defend and represent them.

Kemp joined other Southern governors in a joint statement opposing unionization.

The anti-union climate deepened this year when the Georgia Legislature passed a bill – and Kemp signed into law – new restrictions on organizing by certain unions. The law also prevents companies that voluntarily recognize unions from accessing state tax credits for megaprojects, such as new auto plants.

That attitude is responsible for the “market-based growth we’ve experienced” in Georgia, said spokesman Garrison Douglas. “We will continue to work with our partners to create opportunities and protect hard-working Georgians from overtures and tactics that threaten their long-term goals.” »

The Blue Bird news offered a counterpoint to the recent high-profile defeat of a movement by Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama to join the United Auto Workers. The unionization effort was widely seen as a potentially monumental step toward unionizing the South’s chain of vehicle assembly plants, plants that are owned by German, South Korean, Japanese and Swedish companies.

Although the UAW had pledged to continue organizing, this defeat was a clear blow to its campaign.

Yet union supporters also had reason to celebrate.

The UAW recently reached an agreement with Daimler Truck workers in North Carolina providing for a significant raise. Workers at New Flyer, an electric bus manufacturer based in Anniston, Alabama, have ratified their first contract. And workers at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant approved joining the UAW.

But the news from Mercedes dampened union expectations.

What was different about Blue Bird was the historic presence of USW members in the area, which gave it an advantage in countering anti-union messaging, said Alex Perkins, a USW organizer. “We maintained relationships with the people in the factory so they could see the benefits of the union. »

In the Southeast, the United Steelworkers union has many members at Carrier in Memphis, the USX plant in Birmingham and a number of companies, including International Paper, Graphic Packaging, Georgia Pacific and Goodyear, Perkins said .

The contract is good for both the workers and the company, he said. “When people feel paid a fair wage and treated fairly, when they come to work, they will be more productive. »