Employees in Teamsters Local 179’s bargaining unit at IKEA’s Joliet, Illinois, distribution center approved a three-year first contract carrying a 12% raise, the union said Oct. 21.
The deal changes grievance procedures and working conditions, according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The union said the agreement covers 190 workers. It did not give the ratification vote count, say when the increase begins or explain how the raise is structured. Velvety Beard, an IKEA worker and Local 179 member, said, “Our solidarity made the difference.”
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) records list 186 employees eligible in the March representation election. Of 153 ballots counted, 118 went to Local 179 and eight backed Local Lodge 701 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM); 27 voters rejected representation. The board certified Local 179 on March 27. The contract’s reported coverage is four above the earlier eligible-voter count, a gap the union’s release did not explain.
The IAM said its members at IKEA’s Joliet and Minooka distribution centers ratified a separate first contract in April 2020 by a vote of 92 to seven. Its announcement did not establish whether that earlier bargaining unit overlapped with Local 179’s.
The Teamsters said Joliet workers sought higher wages, better working conditions and protections against automation. The union also said IKEA had not offered a fair first contract. It described the distribution center as moving furniture and home goods across the Midwest through IKEA’s supply chain.
IKEA gave its account of negotiations to Furniture Today in August, saying talks had advanced and tentative terms covered most proposals. The company said it respected both workers who chose to strike and co-workers who stayed on the job. Local 179 President Chris Richter said, “Their determination secured a first contract.”
