A John Deere executive says the company is looking to shift some of its necessary production to overseas facilities as a standoff with more than 10,000 union employees continues in search of a new contract.
In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Cory Reed, president of John Deere’s agriculture and turf efforts, said the company will be able to accomplish some necessary production steps with its foreign plants. The company is also using nonunion, salaried employees – engineers, supervisors and financial services managers – to run U.S. facilities as the strike continues.
The strike began Oct. 14 after John Deere workers rejected a six-year contract offer from the company. John Deere and representatives from the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) reached another deal weeks later, but union members voted that deal down.
According to information from the company, the strike covers more than 10,000 employees of production and maintenance facilities in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas. Workers at parts facilities in Denver and Atlanta voted in favor of a separate agreement during the process.
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