HOLLAND, Ohio — Hundreds of union workers at the Clarios automobile battery plant in Holland walked off the job Monday morning after 98% of the membership voted down the company's most recent contract proposal.
UAW Local 12 President Bruce Baumhower said the facility employs about 500 people who have been in negotiations with the company for several months. The previous contract was extended multiple times in an attempt to reach a fair agreement.
Baumhower said the current proposal on the table from the company would cost workers money.
"One of the problems is it's a concessionary contract," he said. "We're not in the mood for concessionary contracts. Today's economy is strong and our members have taken concessions when the economy wasn't. They want a fair contract and the company isn't willing. We're not going backwards in today's economy."
According to the Clarios website, the company is responsible for batteries in one-third of vehicles on the road. The Holland Clarios plant was formerly owned by Johnson Controls, which was founded in 1885.
Johnson Controls sold its Power Solutions division to Toronto-based Brookfield Business Partners in 2019, which led to the creation of Clarios. The company has 16,000 employees in factories around the world.
Clarios manufactures a variety of batteries for electric vehicles, hybrids and internal combustion engines. The Holland plant supplies Ford, among other car companies.
"We've been working in good faith to come up with an agreement," a Clarios spokesperson said in a statement. "We remain optimistic as we've reached agreements with all our unions during recent contract negotiations. Unfortunately, our first offer was not accepted, but we are dedicated to continuing good-faith negotiations to reach a contract that focuses on the future and supports our customers."
Baumhower said workers are churning out a "record number" of batteries every day and the plant - located on Industrial Road - is shut down for the time being. He said the other 41 companies represented by Local 12 have agreed to support workers on the picket line.
Union chairman Aaron Shinaul, who has worked at the plant for 28 years, said the workers "just want a fair contract so the members can have security at the plant and build a life there."
Workers are receiving strike pay from the UAW.
A Clarios spokesperson provided the following statement in response to the strike:
"Our Toledo facility opened in 1981 and today employs around 650 represented and salaried employees. Toledo is a key location for Clarios and has been a focus of recent investment as we anticipate our ability to competitively support growth and increased customer demand well into the future.
Negotiations have been ongoing since April. The contract expired April 19. Unfortunately, on April 27, our represented employees did not ratify the proposed agreement despite having the support of their bargaining committee. We remain committed to creating an agreement that is good for our employees, the company and allows us to support our customers' needs."
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