Local UAW 2164 to vote on tentative deal Wednesday

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – For the last 37 days, the United Auto Workers have been on strike against General Motors.

By the end of this week, that strike could finally be over.

“What a relief it is, a big relief,” said David Boynton, who was out on the picket line in Bowling Green on Tuesday morning. “Lot of people are hurting. Lot of people weren’t prepared for this.”

Last Wednesday, Oct. 16, negotiators from both GM and UAW reached a tentative agreement on a deal for the first time since the strike began.

After chapter leaders met to approve the deal in Detroit the following day, they returned to their local plants to present the deals to the membership.

Now members of Local 2164 will have the chance to vote and ratify that deal on Wednesday.

“It’s as good as we’re gonna get,” added Boynton. “It’s not bad. We’re getting a nice sign-on bonus and in four years everybody will be making the same amount of money.”

While Boynton is please with the stipulations of the agreement, not every worker has been so far.

“Even though there are pieces that many of us do feel very indifferent about and somewhat disappointed in, there still are other gains there though that were made and that offer positive gains for the union as a whole collectively,” said Jason Watons, Local 2164 GM bargaining chairman who attended the meeting in Detroit last Thursday.

Other plants across the country will vote in the coming days, and Watson said he expects a finally tally to be announced by Friday afternoon at the earliest.

“There’s no stipulation on a certain percentage or criteria, as long as it’s a majority pass nation-wide then it will pass,” said Watson.

Boynton is confident that there will be enough support behind this new deal to ratify it, too.

“I’ve been here 44 years and they always pass,” he said.

Until the new deal is officially agreed upon by the membership and all parties involved, workers will remain on the picket line until the strike is over and they’re able to return to their jobs for good.

“Right now it’s kind of in the hands of the membership which is how it should be, and they’ll be the ones making that decision,” added Watson.

Members of Local 2164 can vote on Wednesday between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the UAW banquet hall.

Watson said members must show a valid drivers license or work identification badge to receive their ballot to vote.