Demand fair pay and benefits for striking John Deere workers

[Omaha Steve]

Sign here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-now-demand-fair-pay-and-benefits-for-striking-john-deere-workers/?source=group-the-nation-magazine&referrer=group-the-nation-magazine

Dear Friend of The Nation,



Working people are rising up, demanding fair pay and benefits. Last week, 10,000 John Deere workers went on strike, rejecting the company’s contract offer of a 2-3% raise in worker pay -- just a $2 raise over 3 years.



In 2020, John Deere’s CEO, John May, received a 160% salary increase in the same year the company netted $2.75 billion in profit. This year, Deere is expected to make between $5.7 and $5.9 billion in revenue.



More Perfect Union is on the ground in Ottumwa, Iowa, the site of John Deere’s first factory. We’re speaking with striking workers, helping to elevate their demands of fair pay and benefits for current and future generations.



Join More Perfect Union and our allies in signing the petition demanding John Deere pay all of its workers a fair wage with benefits, including health and retirement. Click here to watch our latest report and then sign the petition!


For more than 110 years, John Deere has employed multiple generations of Iowans in Ottumwa. But, in 1997, Deere divided its workforce into 2 tiers where new hires got paid less, didn’t receive healthcare after retirement and received a pension about one-third that of their predecessors. Now, the company wants to end the pension program entirely for new hires. The workers who are striking today are fighting to ensure that their children have the same opportunities that they have.



The Ottumwa community is fighting back, supporting striking workers, bringing them meals and coffee to keep them going on the picket line.

In a year when John Deere increased prices on its products by 8%, citing inflation, and when the CEO has seen his pay skyrocket, John Deere workers deserve compensation that reflects their work.



Watch our reporting where we speak with striking John Deere workers, then sign the petition demanding fair pay and benefits!



Our collective action has already had an impact with major employers including Nabisco and Frito-Lay agreeing to workers’ demands. Window washers and CVS workers have also won critical protections.

Together, we know that worker power can defeat corporate greed.

Sign the petition to John Deere today!

In solidarity

-Faiz

Faiz Shakir, Co-Founder
More Perfect Union

[jimfields33]

1. Federal government did the same damn thing

Changed the retirement for new workers. Totally unfair for both to do this. Deere company paying 19 to 22 dollars is not enough. These aren’t entry level jobs. Fix it!