500+ UAW Members Strike at Eaton Aerospace in Jackson

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525 UAW Members Strike at Eaton Aerospace in Jackson, Michigan

JACKSON – After prolonged negotiations, 525 UAW members have initiated a strike at Eaton Aerospace in Jackson, Michigan, a factory specializing in hydraulics equipment for civil, commercial, and military aircraft. The strike began after their contract expired on September 5.

“We are fighting for our future and our community,” said Donnie Huffman, president of UAW Local 475. “Every worker should have the right to spend time with our grandkids. When your CEO is making more than $20 million, it’s galling when they cry poverty at the negotiating table.

“Enough is enough. We’re standing up to fight for what is fair.”

The Fortune 500 company continues pushing for a two-tier retirement system that would eliminate pensions and 401(k) for new hires by the end of the contract.

Besides retirement rights, workers demand quality health care, fair wages reflecting their contributions, and equitable scheduling and promotion processes.

In the past decade, Eaton Aerospace reported $208 billion in revenue and $22 billion in net income. In 2023, the company had $3.2 billion net income, up 31% from 2022. The CEO was paid $20.5 million in 2023, a 46% increase, while workers are still waiting for a fair contract.

“This company has made billions on workers’ backs,” said Don Donihue, a trustee at UAW Local. “It is insulting that Eaton executives try to deny us our right to retire while giving themselves millions year after year. They can clearly afford to pay what we’re asking for.”

“UAW members are not afraid to stand up for what we’re owed. We are fighting for each other and our families,” said Lynann Bacon, an inspector at Eaton. “If Eaton’s executives do not respect workers, we will hold them accountable.”

“Eaton workers see the record profits and know it should mean a record contract,” said UAW Region 1D Director Steve Dawes. “This corporation continues funneling money to the top and then asks workers to sacrifice more. Our members see through that and are demanding their fair share of the profits.”

Eaton workers are the latest UAW members to participate in Stand Up strikes during contract negotiations. UAW members have secured record contracts recently, such as [Cornell University](https://www.cornell.edu/) in New York and [Daimler Truck](https://www.daimlertruck.com/) in North Carolina. The one-year anniversary of the Stand Up strike that led to historic raises and benefits for Big Three autoworkers is September 15, 2024.

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