DUBLIN, Va. (AP) — A Volvo plant in Virginia has temporarily laid off about 3,000 workers because thousands of Mack Truck workers are on strike.
News outlets report the plant in Dublin receives engine and transmission supplies from a Mack Truck power train plant in Maryland, which is a part of a strike involving United Automobile Workers union members.
The Dublin plant notified workers last week that if UAW and Mack didn’t reach a new collective bargaining agreement, then work at the plant would have to be halted on Monday.
Volvo spokesman John Mies says the company doesn’t know how long the layoffs will last but employees will receive unemployment benefits while on layoff.
Mack Truck workers went on strike last week in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Florida because of wages, job security, pension and benefits.
Volvo issued this statement on Tuesday:
“Mack Trucks, which is a Volvo Group subsidiary, is in negotiations with the United Auto Workers on a new collective bargaining agreement covering about 3,500 UAW-represented workers employed at six facilities in three states.
One of those facilities is the Hagerstown, Maryland, powertrain plant, which also supplies engines and transmissions to our NRV Volvo truck assembly plant.
The UAW strike began on October 12.
Last Thursday, October 17, we advised our NRV employees that, due to the effects of the strike on Hagerstown, we would have to stop truck production at NRV this Monday, October 21.
This unfortunately resulted in the temporary layoff of about 3,000 NRV employees.
We don’t know how long the layoff will last, but we’re taking steps to keep our employees updated as we move forward.
Negotiations with the UAW resumed yesterday.”