MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. — Bradford White workers were back on the job Wednesday after a 47-day strike ended with union members approving a new contract that raises wages and changes how workers earn and schedule vacation.
The agreement drew support from 58.6% of union members who voted Sunday. The first shift started around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Randy Tobias, bargaining chair for UAW Local 1002.
For Tobias, getting back to work meant getting back to a routine he welcomed after weeks of negotiations.
“Wake up, go to work, punch in, punch out, go home,” Tobias said. “So I mean, that’s kind of nice.”
Tobias said most workers will make about $2 more an hour in the first year of the six-year agreement. He said workers will receive hourly raises of 50 cents in each of the next three years and 45 cents in each of the final two years.
Tobias said the agreement also removes a restriction on health coverage for spouses and the new system gives workers more flexibility to choose when they take paid time off.
Valerie Satterfield, a union trustee said she was glad to see some of her coworkers again but thought the union could have held out longer. She said she’s concerned about how longtime workers, including her husband, will build up vacation time under the new system.
“They’ve been here 28, 30 plus years, and they’ve already earned their vacation by doing all those years of services,” Satterfield said. “Now they have to work to earn it again.”
Dan Snowden, an alternate union committee member on the day shift, said he was surprised by how much support for the deal had grown since the previous vote. He said he had issues with parts of the contract but accepted the outcome.
“Very surprised in that, but people were ready to go back to work, apparently," Snowden said.
FOX 17 checked back in Wednesday with Jason Snell, a Bradford White worker who has spoken with the station over the past two weeks. Snell is still out with a knee injury and hopes to return on light duty.
Snell said his current restrictions limit him to lifting five pounds. His regular job requires him to lift at least 80 pounds, he said. He was also in his second week without physical therapy as he waited to find out whether workers’ compensation or short-term disability would pay for it.
Snell said the weekly strike pay helped him get by. Now that the strike is over, he said he’ll go back to relying on short-term disability payments.
“But now that the strike is over, I go back to short-term disability pay, which is less than $200 a week,” Snell said. “So now I’m back to how can I get things done with this amount of money.”
Tobias said he’s looking forward to the higher wages and more flexibility with time off. He said he’s also proud of how workers stuck together during the strike.
“What they did was they took a stand, and anytime someone takes a stand for the right reasons, you can feel nothing but pride,” Tobias said. “And I mean, the solidarity was strong.”
In a statement shared with FOX 17 News, Bradford White said:
"We are pleased to share that our employees represented by Local 1002 voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement.
The agreement provides meaningful wage increases and valuable benefits for our employees and their families, upholding our commitment to being a leading manufacturing employer in West Michigan.
We look forward to welcoming our team back to the plant to support the production of the high-quality water heating solutions our customers depend on.
Together, we’ll move forward stronger, united by our shared commitment to our customers and the
continued success of Bradford White."
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