DETROIT -- A majority of UAW workers at Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly plant rejected the tentative contract agreement between the automaker and union today, dealing another serious blow to chances the deal will be ratified.
It was the fourth large assembly plant to reject the agreement since voting began last Thursday. Despite hard lobbying by United Auto Workers leadership to convince voters to accept the contract, UAW workers across the country have been saying "no."
So far, at least six locals -- representing more than 11,000 workers -- have rejected the deal reached between the union and automaker, and at least eight others -- representing nearly 6,500 workers -- have approved it.
At Jefferson North, which represents 2,200 workers, 56.7 percent of 1,100 production workers and 79.5 percent of 195 skilled trades workers rejected the deal. Voting was held this afternoon.
Also rejecting the agreement in the past few days were two assembly plants in St. Louis and another in Newark, Del. Voting at various UAW locals continues through Wednesday.
Some 45,000 Chrysler workers are eligible to vote on the contract, and a majority of those must approve it for ratification. If the deal isn't ratified, negotiators would have to return to the bargaining table. The last time a tentative contract was rejected was in 1982, also by Chrysler workers.
"That "no" vote really indicates that they're may be broader discontent in play," said Harley Shaiken, labor professor at University of California, Berkeley. He added that Jefferson North was a bellwether plant because the vote there could have gone either way.
"It could still be close," he said. "But the early plants are sending a strong 'no' message."
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