Workers at DaimlerChrysler unit end two week strike

TORONTO, March 9, 2003;Reuters reports that Canadian auto workers at Sterling Truck (Freightliner), a division of DaimlerChrysler, on Sunday ratified by 91 percent a tentative agreement reached on Friday between the Canadian Auto Workers union and the company, ending a two-week strike.

The company dropped the major issue leading to the strike, which was the demand to impose escalating co-pays on the health care package in the second and third year of the agreement, and agreed to a 2.5 percent wage increase in the first year, 2.7 percent in the second and three percent in the third year.

According to Freightliner, improvements were also made in time off the job, pensions, and specific healthcare benefits.

Some 1,100 members of CAW Local 101, who build about 70 medium-and heavy-duty trucks a day at DaimlerChrysler's Sterling Truck division in St. Thomas, Ontario, went on strike on February 21 after the company refused to drop its demand for new escalating employee co-payments for health benefits packages.

Bob Chernecki, assistant to CAW president Buzz Hargrove, said on Friday if the tentative agreement were approved, most workers would return to work on Monday, March 9.

Of the 1,100 workers on strike for a first contract, 851 cast their ballots in the ratification vote held on Sunday.

"This settlement not only ended the strike, but these workers have built a solid union with their first contract and they understand these gains were made because of their solidarity and strong leadership," said Chernecki, after the vote results were announced.