UAW Local 2093 Secures Major Contract Wins at American Axle

UAW Local 2093 Secures New Contract with American Axle/Dauch Corporation

In a significant development, members of UAW Local 2093 at American Axle/Dauch Corporation have overwhelmingly ratified a new contract, voting 80% in favor on Sunday. The agreement ensures that workers will attain a wage of $30 per hour by 2030, marking an over 36% increase in the top wage rate within four years. Workers resumed their duties at 6:00 A.M. on Monday.

UAW President Shawn Fain highlighted the success of the strike action, stating, “UAW Local 2093 showed one thing to be truer than ever: strikes work.” He emphasized the financial capacity of the industry, noting, “And American Axle proved something else to be as true as we’ve always known: the industry can afford our demands."

The backdrop to this achievement includes sacrifices made by workers during the 2008 financial downturn, where wages dropped from $29 to $14.50 per hour to prevent facility closure.

Echoing this sentiment, UAW Local 2093 bargaining chair Josh Jager remarked, “When we began this journey, we didn’t know where it would lead, but we knew we had to square shit up. We had our marching orders from the membership, and our rallying cry: $30 by ‘30. This contract delivers on that rallying cry.”

Besides the wage increases, employees benefited from additional paid days off and retained existing health care costs, countering the company's earlier stance that such terms were unachievable.

Steve Dawes, UAW Region 1D Director, acknowledged the comprehensive nature of the agreement, saying, “Not only did they take care of the legacy people that were here and made the tough decisions back in 2008 to keep the place open, they took care of the people working there today.”

The ten-day strike garnered substantial local community and political support from figures such as Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and others, highlighting the broader impact and backing for the workers' cause.