Caterpillar, United Auto Workers reach tentative agreement

PEORIA, ILL. — Caterpillar and the United Autoworkers reached a new six-year tentative labour agreement March 1.

The union will schedule a ratification vote soon and communicate the date, indicates the Caterpillar website, adding the current agreement will be extended until voting is complete. The company will communicate the results as soon as they become available.

On Jan. 5, Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers opened negotiations for a new labour agreement as the current agreement expired on March 1. The parties began negotiations on the four local agreements with the goal to conclude the negotiations by Jan. 20.

Main table negotiations began with the company and union exchanging Central Agreement labor contract and benefits proposals. This included the opportunity for both parties to ask for clarifications and questions regarding each other’s proposals.

In February, subcommittee negotiations between the company and the union occurred. Main table negotiations on the major economic topics were also initiated, with the company providing a revised economic proposal and the union responding with its counterproposal.