Phone:
(704) 822-0839
(704) 822-0061

Fax:
(704) 827-7191
(704) 827-6878

Mission Statement:

We are a group of highly skilled Custom Truck Builders who are committed to our Union (UAW) and to producing vehicles of the highest quality and supplying our customers demands. We build the finest Class 6 and 7 trucks in the world and in the Heavy Truck Market. Solidarity Forever!!!!

The Production and Maintenance employees began a Union drive in 1989 which resulted in a union vote in 1990. The vote was YES for the UAW. After seventeen months of intense negotiations and a seventeen day strike we won our first union contract. On April 20th 1991 we chartered with the UAW and was certified by the UAW and became Local 5285 Mount Holly North Carolina. We are in Region 8 of the International UAW.

History:

In June 1989 the employees at the Freightliner Truck Manufacturing Plant in Mount Holly, North Carolina kicked off a full fledged union drive with the UAW. We had a core group of people who started the drive which very quickly grew into a substantial number. By August 1989 we were passing out cards to be signed to petition the NLRB for a vote for the union. On April 16,1990 an election was held at the Freightliner Truck Manufacturing Plant and there was 1350 people eligible to vote. The vote turned out 652 for the right to be represented by the UAW. The no vote was 606 against a union. After the vote many more membership cards were signed of people joining the union. 

When negotiations began our membership had grown considerately and when a vote to strike was taken on April 13,1991 it turned out 92% to strike. What was better than that was that we had 92% of support from our members and we were United. After many months of intense negotiations and seventeen days of strike, Freightliner and UAW Local 5285 reached an agreement on December 19,1991. On December 20, 1991 there was a vote by the membership to ratify the agreement. The vote was 99% to ratify and we got our first contract.

We have negotiated four contracts over the last eleven years with substantial gains in every contract. We have not had to strike in any of these since 1991, but have had to stand in unity and solidarity to accomplish what we have. We have had to threaten strikes especially in 2000 when the company threatened to move our plant and our work to Mexico. Again a United Membership stood in Solidarity and Unity to accomplish what was right for our membership. We are proud to be a part of this work force and for twelve years to be a part of the UAW.

Click the images below to view a larger version. Pictured left to right: photo 1, War room 2000 negotiations and Photos 2-4, Ratification meeting and Vote 2000.

Events as they happened: