(Radio Iowa) – Union workers at John Deere have accepted the company’s latest offer and their 35-day strike has ended.
Sixty-one percent of workers who cast ballots yesterday voted “yes” on Deere and Company’s third contract offer. It was very similar to the second. Both promised immediate 10 percent raises along with 5 percent raises in the third and fifth years of the six-year-long contract. The third agreement made modifications to production incentives.

In a written statement, U-A-W International president Ray Curry said the strike at John Deere seemed to unite the nation behind the struggle for fairness in the workplace. Deere and Company C-E-O John May also issued a statement, calling the wage and benefit package groundbreaking in many ways.

The U-A-W said its members assigned to the third shift could voluntarily work overnight. All others will be expected at their job sites today. This was the first strike at Deere and Company since 1986.

Here are vote margins:
UAW Locals in Iowa:
Ankeny — 64% yes
Davenport — 77% yes
Dubuque — 86% yes
Ottumwa — 75% yes
Waterloo — 44% yes