Volvo Trucks North America today issued the following statement regarding the rejection of a new collective bargaining agreement covering the company’s New River Valley truck assembly operations (NRV) in Dublin, Virginia by members of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local #2069. The agreement was reached by the parties on July 1, 2021, and is the third tentative agreement approved by UAW leadership, but rejected by UAW members.
“Given the significant wage gains and first-class benefits this agreement delivered, and the strong support it garnered from UAW leadership at every level, this outcome is unexpected and very disappointing,” said NRV Vice President and General Manager Franky Marchand. “Now that our employees have rejected three successive agreements endorsed by the leaders they elected to represent them, we need to consider our next steps. The ongoing strike – which we continue to believe is unnecessary – is hurting our customers, and has already set back our project to expand and upgrade the facility. No one is gaining from the current situation, and we will consider all options related to the bargaining process.”
The Volvo Group is the only heavy-duty truck manufacturing group that assembles all of its trucks and engines for the North American market in the United States. The NRV plant employs more than 3,300 people, about 2,900 of whom are UAW members. The plant is in the midst of a $400 million investment for advanced technology upgrades, site expansion, and preparation for future products, including the innovative Volvo VNR Electric truck. The plant has added 1,100 jobs since the current union agreement was implemented in 2016 and is on track to have a net increase of approximately 600 positions in 2021.
