UAW Local 282 members at Lear striking for better health and safety protections

Update 7-25-24: UAW Local 282 has come to a tentative agreement with Lear on a contract. More details will be released soon.

BY SHERI GASSAWAY
Assistant Editor

Wentzville, MO – UAW Local 282 members at Lear Group here are on strike for better health and safety conditions on the job for the second time in two years.

The 460 employees, who make seats for Chevy vans and Colorados, hit the strike line at midnight on Sunday, said Local 282 President Bill Hugeback. By Monday morning, the strike had halted production at the nearby GM Wentzville Assembly plant, which ran out of Lear-made seats.

‘NO SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS’
“As of now, we’re still on strike, and there has been no significant progress on contract negotiations,” Hugeback said Wednesday afternoon. “The UAW Local 2250 members at the Chevy plant are currently on standby. They are going in, but not doing any work.”

Hugeback said the main sticking point has to do with better health and safety protections on the job. He explained that the repetitive nature of the work on the assembly has negatively impacted some employees who have developed severe back and knee pain as well as carpel tunnel syndrome.

‘MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE’

“We tried to negotiate these conditions two years ago in our last contract, and we did as well as we could, but more needs to be done,” Hugeback said.

He said workers are also fighting for higher wages and better health and retirement benefits.

“Lear wants the employees to start paying premiums on their health insurance, which eats up any raises they would have received,” Hugeback said.

In a statement Tuesday, Lear said it has “negotiated in good faith with the UAW for some time to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. With over 100 years in the automotive industry, we pride ourselves on our successful relationships with our employees and union partners. We remain committed to reaching an agreement that will benefit all parties.”

‘SHAME ON LEAR’
UAW Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell scoffed at the statement, telling the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Shame on Lear for failing to come to a fair agreement with the 500 members of UAW Local 282 who are now forced to strike for their fair share.

“The company has had plenty of time to make things right, but instead spent half a billion dollars on stock buybacks and dividends last year,” he told the newspaper. “Now Wentzville Assembly is down thanks to Lear’s refusal to bargain a fair deal.”

TO SUPPORT STRIKING MEMBERS
Hugeback said UAW Local 2250 members have joined Local 282 members on the strike line and have brought drinks and snacks. If you would like to stand with striking workers, visit the strike line at 301 Logistics Center Drive in Wentzville.