CLEVELAND — As negotiations ramp up between United Automobile Workers and Daimler Freightliner, members of the manufacturers union held a rally at the Local 3520 facility on Tuesday. 

The room was flooded with red shirts as various members of other UAW chapters from across the Southeast stood in solidarity. The keynote speaker was UAW President Shawn Fain, a fixture in congressional hearings and other labor advocacy platforms. 

Fain steered the UAW ship through a six-week strike last year against General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler, collectively known as the Big 3 Detroit Automakers. Fain announced his determination to deliver similar results in contract negotiations with Daimler before the uproarious crowd.

“Our union has always had a hard group of organizers working everyday to give workers the resources they need to build a union on the job,” Fain said. “What started as a tremor has become an earthquake.

“Our workers are standing up for what’s rightfully theirs and they are going to get it. That is why we are here today. I want to talk about the fight for justice at Daimler trucks.”

The contracts with Daimler expire on April 26.

“Between now and then, we will do everything we can to show this company we are willing to do whatever it takes to win the contract we deserve,” Fain said. 

Fain issued a warning that the company would attempt to misrepresent the union’s fight through media avenues, characterizing the fight as a war waged on the economy.  

“We have no intention of wrecking the economy but you can believe that we are willing to wreck their economy,” Fain said. 

Fain pointed to record profits brought in by the company since the last time contracts were negotiated in 2018. 

“Record profits mean record contracts,” Fain said. “Daimler can afford to immediately give us our fair share.”

The UAW president said that he wanted to see improved healthcare benefits, wage increases and time off for families. Should Daimler fail to meet those demands, Fain said that the workers are prepared to take necessary steps to win them.

“If they choose not to give us our fair share, then they are choosing to strike themselves,” Fain said as chants of “U-A-W” and “We will strike” erupted through the crowd. 

“Bargaining is not just a one-person show,” Fain said. “Contracts are won by the members. These contract fights are won by all of us organizing collectively. These fights are won by us because we are willing to shut shit down if we have to.”

Fain was not the lone speaker. 

Labor leaders like Ricky McDowell, president and shop chair of the UAW Local 5285, Mount Holly, and North Carolina AFL-CIO President MaryBe McMillan spurred on the excitement in the room. 

McDowell was among the workers at Mount Holly’s plant to strike years ago to earn their first contract with the manufacturing giant. 

There are four plants in North Carolina under the Daimler umbrella: Cleveland’s Daimler Freighliner facility; Mount Holly’s Truck Manufacturing plant; Gastonia’s Components and Logistics plant; and High Point’s Thomas Built Busses Manufacturing plant. 

The Cleveland facility is Rowan County’s largest private employee with more than 1,100 of its workers residing in the county.

Distribution centers in Atlanta and Memphis are also represented in these contract negotiations

Addressing the crowd, Local 3520 President Corey Hill said, “We are here for our story to be told. We are going to use these negotiations to prove that we are willing to stand up to the corporations. We will be silent no more.”

The rally leaders encouraged the union members to sign up to practice picketing in the event that a strike does result from failed negotiations. 

The Daimler Council conducted a poll of its 7,000 members throughout the Southeast and received indication from 96 percent of them that they were willing to strike if necessary. 

How it will unfold remains to be seen. 

In response to an email request for an interview with a company representative, Andrew Johnson, Daimler Truck North America – Global Head of Communications, said, “We look forward to continuing good faith CBA negotiations with our UAW partners.”