Members of IAM Local 1297 have voted to approve a new five-year contract with Libbey Glass, ending an 18-week strike in Toledo, Ohio. The agreement follows more than a year of negotiations between the union and the company.
IAM District 54 President and Directing Business Representative T. Dean Wright, Jr., commented on the outcome:
“I am incredibly proud of the members of IAM Local 1297 and their families. They stood united in solidarity for 18 weeks, making tremendous personal sacrifices, including during the holiday season, to protect one another and the contractual rights they have fought for over decades. I extend my sincere gratitude to each and every one of them. I also wish to thank my staff at IAM District 54, as well as the Libbey shop committee, who worked tirelessly not only during these past four months of the strike but also through the numerous months of negotiations prior to that, in order to safeguard the rights and benefits of our members at Libbey Glass. Additionally, I would like to offer my deepest thanks to the Toledo-area community for their steadfast support throughout the strike, particularly the labor community and UAW Local 12. I would also like to specifically acknowledge the efforts of USW Locals 700T, 65T, 59M, and their members, to secure improved contracts for all workers at Libbey Glass.”
The new contract includes several provisions such as an immediate wage increase of 14.25%, further raises in subsequent years, no increase in health insurance premium contributions for 2026, preservation of current health insurance plan features, a $3,000 signing bonus per worker, continued premium pay at time-and-a-half for overtime hours beyond scheduled shifts in a workday, twelve paid holidays—eight falling within Christmas and New Year’s—and other additional benefits.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is among North America’s largest industrial trade unions with about 600,000 active and retired members across industries such as aerospace, defense, airlines, railroads, transit systems, healthcare sectors and automotive manufacturing throughout both Canada and the United States.