Waterloo brothers organize picket at Deere headquarters

MOLINE, Ill. — More than 50 UAW picketers lined John Deere Place waving homemade signs at honking cars Monday afternoon — Day 26 of the strike against Deere & Co. — outside the company’s headquarters in Moline.

With music playing from the bed of a pickup and children running around in a field behind the picket line, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America from across the United States stood in solidarity with Deere workers advocating for an improved tentative agreement across from the main entrance to Deere’s corporate offices.

The informational picket was sponsored by brothers Brian and Shannon Olsson, who both work at John Deere Engine Works in Waterloo, independent from the UAW. The brothers said they organized the event to facilitate unity between locals.

“We really united three weeks ago, and it seems as if there's a little bit of division going on, and we need to stand united for all blue-collar workers across America,” Shannon Olsson said. “I think that brings unity by getting people together, talking about our plans, our goals, you know, our futures, and that will create unity.”

The UAW rejected a second tentative contract agreement, 55 to 45 percent, despite gaining majority support from some Quad-City union locals. The contract, which offered improved wages and other benefits, was rejected by locals in Waterloo and Dubuque. Quad-City workers reported last week that the close margin was creating tension within the UAW and local chapters. Both brothers said that they are against another vote on the same agreement.

“It's been turned down,” Brian Olsson said. “You’ve got to come up with a better offer if you want us back to work.”

He said that although the Deere workers were directly advocating for themselves, the outcome of the strike could shift the wages and benefits of all workers in the manufacturing industry.

“The reason why we're here today is to raise the standard of living for not just John Deere workers, but all blue-collar workers,” he said, “for standard raises for everybody in our community. And that community includes our dads, moms and aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters. We have an opportunity to raise their standard of living.”

Traveling over an hour to get to the headquarters was an easy decision, according to the brothers. They wanted to unite the movement near the company’s chief executive and other leaders. Multiple signs that read “post retirement healthcare,” “quality employees deserve quality pay for quality work,” and “we are essential” were held feet away from the Deere corporate sign.

“We're all under one roof, even though we're in different locals,” Brian Olsson said. “It's important to get all these people together because we're all fighting for the same thing.”