Union workers at Maytag voted Friday to ratify a new contract offer from the company. For many it will end a 3-week strike, but not for all as the company’s Lynn Dragomeier explains. All production and maintenance workers who were “actively employed” on June 10 are being asked to report to work this coming Tuesday for their normal shifts and job assignments, but those who’d been laid off and were recalled June 23 to replace striking workers are not called to work. That means about 400 workers who’d been laid off at Maytag will remain off work. Dragomeier says the contract ratified by workers this week addresses key concerns of the company. The contract addresses issues including employee and retiree health benefits and work-rule flexibility, she says, and thanks workers for recognizing the competitive environment in which Maytag’s doing business. The strike began June 10 and the final contract was worked out after representatives for the UAW and Maytag met in Chicago for about a week.
