At minimum 34 union automobile technicians at Mercedes-Benz of San Diego went on strike as the two sides negotiate a new deal.
Technicians from the Global Affiliation of Machinists and Aerospace Personnel Local Lodge 1484 walked off the job on June 17. 10 technicians continue to be on the work, a dealership spokesman stated.
Pedro Gomez, a technician at the dealership and shop steward for Local Lodge 1484, mentioned the union experienced been dealt with unfairly in the course of negotiations by the dealership’s proprietor, Penske Automotive Team Inc.
“We are in the middle of negotiating our third contract. They desired to acquire absent some of our gains, including our weekly assure,” Gomez explained. “We come to feel like it really is to the place where by they want to intimidate us into submission so that we’ll settle for the deal we obtained.”
Anthony Pordon, executive vice president at Penske Automotive, stated the dealership has modified to the scarcity of employees at the retail store.
The dealership supplied a 15.1 per cent shell out improve for master specialists and a 10 % boost for certified technicians together with yearly raises thereafter, Gomez claimed. Union techs make among $30 and $34 an hour, Gomez mentioned.
“We are dedicated to treating all of our employees pretty on all troubles, which includes payment. We are making an attempt to perform in the finest pursuits of our shoppers,” Pordon stated. “Naturally, we have experienced to adjust our potential to assistance some of our buyers in means to satisfy their requires continue to. We’ve experienced to adjust appointment periods and factors like that accordingly.”
Gomez reported the strike will appear to get paid the respect of the dealership.
“This is [an unfair labor practice] strike, it really is not economic. It truly is not just about cash. It is really about intimidation that’s them generally hoping to cripple us and make us really feel fearful,” Gomez explained.
According to Gomez, negotiations involving Mercedes-Benz of San Diego and the union are set to resume on July 13.
Penske Automotive ranks No. 3 on the Automotive News checklist of the top rated 150 U.S. dealership groups with 195,384 new-auto deliveries in 2021.