Catherwood LibraryILR School

After a nearly two-month long strike, a representative of Automobile Mechanics’ Local 701 has stated that he expects Chicago mechanics to return to their jobs sooner rather than later as dealerships are independently negotiating with their mechanics and without the New Car Dealer Committee (NCDC). Local 701 and the NCDC have been in negotiations since the expiration of the mechanics’ previous four-year contract on August 1st. Since that date, nearly 2,000 mechanics throughout Chicago have remained adamant about their demands, rejecting the NCDC’s final offer made on September 9th in a vote on the 11th. As dealerships were forced to realize the indispensability of their mechanics, they began to branch out of the NCDC and negotiate with their employees independently. Now, nearly half of the dealerships previously represented by the NCDC have their own contracts and many mechanics are back at work and hopeful that those still striking will also negotiate fair contracts with their employers.