A group of 45 Machinists-represented Penske vehicle technicians ratified a new contract covering three Portland-area worksites. The three-year contract contains wage increases of 5.5% in the first year, 3.5% in the second and 3% in the third, said Machinists District Lodge W24 business representative Will Lukens. Workers in the Tech 1 classification will go from $35.15 in year one to $37.47 after their third raise, Tech 2 will start at $30.26 and increase to $32.26, and Tech 3 will start at $24.95 and rise to $26.60.
The contract covers workers at two facilities in Portland and one in Gresham. They service all the vehicles Penske rents out, ranging from small moving vans up to heavy-duty commercial trucks.
The previous contract wasn’t set to expire until September, but after Penske implemented new bonuses for Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) holders at non-union shops, company and union began negotiating the next contract early. This month’s ratification means workers will get raises earlier than they would have under the normal negotiating timeline.
The contract also increases swing shift differential from $1 to $3 an hour; adds new premium pay of $1.30 per hour for technicians working on reefer (refrigeration) units and $1 per hour for a field service technician classification; brings the $2 per hour CDL increase that non-union shops received; and includes a 20-cent raise for shift lead positions.
