William B. Cassidy | Aug 08, 2011 11:00AM EDT
Car-hauling Teamsters approved a National Master Automobile Transporters Agreement that will raise their wages $1.35 per hour over four years.
The new NMATA is the first national car-haul contract since the mid-1990s that provides wage increases in each year of the contract, the Teamsters union said.
The contract’s wage hike follows pay cuts at some auto carriers during the recession and battles over the transfer of jobs to nonunion carriers and overseas plants.
The Teamsters said the contract protects health and pension benefits — two top priorities, said Fred Zuckerman, director of the Teamsters Carhaul Division.
The new pact, passed by a 72 to 28 percent margin, also includes a cost-of-living adjustment of up to 10 cents per hour annually if inflation exceeds 3 percent.
The NMATA ratified Friday covers 4,500 union truckers in the U.S. who work for companies such as Jack Cooper Transport, Cassen and Allied Automotive Group.
Contact William B. Cassidy at wcassidy@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter at @wbcassidy_joc