IUE-CWA’s GE Haier Workers Ratify Contract

Members of IUE-CWA Local 83761 voted last week to accept a new four-year contract with GE Appliances at the Haier worksite in Louisville, Ky. Over 5,000 IUE-CWA-represented workers there produce washers, dryers, dishwashers, and refrigerators.

The new contract includes more affordable healthcare, which would reduce deductibles by approximately 60%. It also contains a clearer career progression system with annual wage increases at career milestones, as well as additional holidays including Juneteenth. The new wage tier system will see approximately 1,800 workers boosted to the highest tier based on their seniority compared to the current 300 at that tier, a major victory for members.

IUE-CWA Local 83761 President Dino Driskell told the Courier Journal, “Trying to equally distribute what we can negotiate is hard…but everybody is getting contractual wage increases every year, and that's something we can continue to build on.” A major concern was high worker turnover due to a lack of clarity on career progression and underwhelming pay. The new contract is an attempt by both the members and the company to attract and retain workers.

Take a look back at the start of bargaining here.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.