UE Local 1135 members ratified a new three-year agreement on November 15, 2025. Local 1135 members manufacture lead-acid car and marine batteries and have seen their schedule and hours impacted by Trump’s tariff chaos over the past year.
In 2025, Local 1135 members faced two unscheduled one-week plant shutdowns, and then had hours temporarily reduced from 40 to 32 hours a week due to supply chain disruptions that resulted from the on- and off-again tariffs. While management came to the table crying poverty and demanding takeaways, the local successfully fought back takeaways to overtime pay and disability pay and company demands for increased surveillance, while winning additional notice if schedules are changed or hours are decreased.
“After having our hours cut and schedules upended, increasing the amount of notice we get before the company can make changes to our schedules was a major priority for the members,” said Financial Secretary Alica Black. “We increased the amount of notice from 14 to 30 days before management changes our schedule. For working parents, or anyone with a life, this was a major victory.”
The focus of bargaining this year was to protect the gains members made in the last contract. In 2022, the local increased the lowest-paid machine operators' pay by 22 percent in the first year, while this year, management tried to claw back gains while blaming tariffs and foreign competition for increasing their costs and causing supply chain uncertainty.
The local was able to fight back the majority of take-aways and increased wages by a compounded 8.7 percent over three years, with a three percent wage increase in the first year, 2.75 percent in the second, and 2.75 percent in the third year.
“This was my first time bargaining a union contract and after seeing the difference our organization on the shop floor made in negotiations, we recruited six new stewards and scheduled a training for January so we can enforce the new contract and prepare for the next one,” said Chief Steward Leona Knight. “Everything we have was fought for, and if we aren’t ready to fight, we’ll lose what we have, and I don’t like losing. That’s why we’re building for the next contract now, so we’re prepared to go on offense with the credible strike threat we need to win the contract we deserve.”
The bargaining team included Malik Grant, James Grant, Alicia Black, Santy Hong and Leona Knight. They were assisted by International Representative Sean Fulkerson.