Strikes end at Ohio battery plant and Michigan aluminum parts plant

Striking workers at a Constellium aluminum parts plant near Detroit and a Clarios battery plant near Toledo both ratified new contract agreements Friday.

Union members at the Constellium plant in Van Buren Township, Mich., represented by UAW Local 174, ended the strike that began May 17. The plant supplies aluminum components to Ford.

Workers at the Clarios plant in Holland, Ohio, members of UAW Local 12, had been on strike since May 8. The plant supplies batteries to General Motors and Ford.

UAW President Shawn Fain called both strikes successes during a Facebook Live event Friday morning.

The Clarios rank-and-file voted on a tentative agreement Friday that the company and bargaining committee reached Tuesday after just one day of negotiations. It passed with 78 percent voting for and 22 percent against.

It was the third vote on an agreement. Members voted down the first proposed agreement at the end of April, before the strike began. They voted down a second tentative agreement May 22.

Members’ primary concern had been a proposed shift to a 12-hour work schedule that would not come with overtime pay. In the final agreement, that schedule is limited to one production line and is no longer mandatory.

UAW Local 12 President Bruce Baumhower told Automotive News that union representatives will meet with the company Saturday to arrange for getting the members back to work.

Kris Sherman, Clarios director of communications for the U.S. and Canada, said in a statement: “We are pleased that our represented employees ratified the agreement today. Our goal was, and is, to create an agreement that increases wages and provides work-life balance.

“The new contract includes a wage increase, a modern, flexible work schedule, and a significant ratification bonus. We look forward to bringing our employees back to work beginning Sunday evening. We welcome our valued employees back as we continue to advance our mission of making the world’s best batteries.”

Clarios, of Milwaukee, was formerly part of Johnson Controls Inc. It ranks No. 75 on Automotive News‘ list of the top 100 global parts suppliers, with worldwide parts sales to automakers of $2.5 billion in its 2021 fiscal year.

Negotiations had been ongoing at the Constellium plant since about 160 workers belonging to UAW Local 174 began striking over safety and compensation concerns. Constellium and the UAW had been meeting periodically to negotiate during the course of the strike. Members voted on and approved an agreement Friday.

“Following productive negotiations between Constellium management and union representatives, both parties have reached an agreement that addresses the priorities raised by the employees and that is beneficial to both parties,” a spokesperson for Constellium said.

Further details of the contract were not provided. UAW representatives for the Constellium workers did not respond to requests for comment.

Constellium, of Paris, ranks No. 84 on the global suppliers list, with worldwide parts sales to automakers of $1.88 billion in 2021.