Teamster carhaulers have ratified a new National Master Automobile Transporters Agreement, securing wage increases for about 4,500 workers.


The agreement addresses members' top priorities of health and pension benefits. Three regional supplemental agreements were also ratified.

The agreement is retroactive to June 1, and runs 51 months, until Aug. 31, 2015. The union successfully negotiated a slightly longer-than-usual agreement so that the contract expiration will secure certain benefit provisions and get the next negotiating committee past the slower summer months of auto production. The agreement covers about 4,500 active workers in the United States.

The agreement calls for annual wage increases totaling $1.35 per hour over the term of the agreement in addition to mileage-rate increases. The agreement also includes a cost-of-living adjustment of up to 10 cents per hour each year if inflation exceeds 3%. This is the first national carhaul contract since the mid-1990s where the union won wage increases in each year of the contract.

The agreement was unanimously endorsed by leaders of carhaul local unions and the Teamsters National Automobile Transporters Industry Negotiating Committee.