UAW Members at AM General Ratify Strongest Contract in Decades

Mishawaka, IN — UAW Local 5 members voted on Thursday, September 25th to ratify a new contract with AM General. Around 400 UAW members at the company’s Mishawaka complex build the Humvee and next generation Joint Light Tactical Vehicle for the nation’s military.

The new contract makes major gains, most notably a 12% wage increase over just three years, a large pension increase, and significant progress reversing a complicated, tiered pay system.

Keith Oden, the Bargaining Chairperson, said “We did it—together. This agreement reflects the priorities our members voiced through surveys, meetings, and conversations on the shop floor. Because of our strength and unity, we secured meaningful gains that move us forward without any concessions.”

This contract reverses a long history of concessionary bargaining at AM General. The company had succeeded in eliminating retiree healthcare, capping profit sharing, and creating multiple wage tiers.

“Our members got back to our fighting roots, as the oldest local in the UAW with a long history of negotiating world class contracts,” said Dave Green, UAW Region 2B Director. “We won a contract that not only makes no concessions to the company, but delivers incredibly strong wage and pension increases for the membership.”

The new contract at AM General follows several other recent bargaining victories for the UAW at major defense companies, including GE Aerospace, General Dynamics, and Rolls-Royce.