UAW rejects tentative deal with Volvo Trucks NA

Volvo Trucks North America announced that employees represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) overwhelmingly rejected a new five-year labor agreement covering approximately 2900 members of UAW Local 2069 at the New River Valley truck assembly operations in Dublin, Va.

Volvo Trucks North America announced that the UAW has rejected a tentative agreement to end a contract dispute at the company’s New River Valley plant in Dublin, Va.

The union has informed the company that UAW-represented employees would report to work on May 17.

“We look forward to working with the UAW to resolve whatever the outstanding issues are, and we remain confident that we will be able to reach a mutually beneficial agreement,” said NRV Vice President and General Manager Franky Marchand.

Negotiations began on Feb. 8 and the negotiating teams reached a tentative agreement April 30. The UAW began a job action April 17, but returned to work May 3 after a tentative agreement had been reached.

The NRV plant employs more than 3300 people, about 2900 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 Volvo VNR Electric truck. Volvo Truck said the plant has added 1100 jobs since the last union agreement was implemented in 2016, and is on track to have a net increase of approximately 600 positions in 2021.