Author: Tyler Jett, Des Moines Register

United Auto Workers members approved a new contract with Deere & Co. Wednesday, ending a strike of the agriculture and construction machine maker.

Members across Iowa, Illinois and Kansas voted against the proposal, 55%-45%, continuing the strike against John Deere that began Oct. 14.

“We are taking these steps to demonstrate our commitment to doing what’s right by our employees,” John Deere spokesperson Jennifer Hartmann said.

Workers plan to picket Deere & Co. around the clock until the two sides reach a contract. The UAW will provide members $275 a week in strike pay.

During the pandemic, undocumented immigrants were left out of federal aid opportunities. Many are falling behind accumulating mountains of debt.

Economists are puzzled by the hiring problems that John Deere, long one of Iowa’s premier employers, is having at a time when thousands are unemployed

Teamsters organizers say they are organizing a group of Amazon workers in Iowa to fight for better wages and conditions, potentially through a strike.

The complaint says a plant manager and HR director falsely told interpreters in an April meeting that the building had “no confirmed cases.”