PLYMOUTH, WI (WHBL) - It’s back to work for United Auto Workers Local 833.
After authorizing a strike against the Kohler Company a little more than a month ago, members voted Wednesday to approve a new four-year contract with Sheboygan County’s largest employer. The union says 91-percent of the over 18-hundred members who voted at Plymouth High School voted in favor.
What is known about the contract is that it will have wage increases each year, plus increased benefits and lower health care costs for employees.
A key issue that led to the strike was a two-tier wage system set up when the two sides agreed to their most recent contract in 2010. The system pays Tier-B employees, consisting mostly of recent and temporary/seasonal hires, at a lower rate than Tier-A employees, consisting mostly of people who have been with the company for years.
The union was trying to get rid of this system in the hope to have all employees paid at the same rate. Kohler wanted to keep it, saying it will ensure the local plants can remain competitive and continue to pursue future job growth in Sheboygan County. In the end, the two-tier system will remain in place, but the gap in pay between them will shrink over the four-year contract period.
Union President Tim Tayloe says it’s a good feeling to get everybody back to work. “The community now; we’ve got to rebuild it, put everybody’s minds at ease and everybody back to work. It came at a good time, done right before the holidays.”
In a statement, Kohler President and CEO David Kohler said the company is pleased a contract has been ratified and will maintain a competitive wage structure to keep their Wisconsin facilities growing with new jobs. He added they are ready to welcome back workers and “continue to work hard to exceed our customer expectations.”