Members of IAM Local 1297 have ended their 18-week strike at Libbey Glass in Toledo, Ohio, after voting to approve a new five-year contract. The agreement comes after more than a year of negotiations between the union and the company.
The contract includes an immediate wage increase of 14.25%, with further increases planned for the following years. Health insurance premium contributions will remain unchanged for 2026, and favorable plan design elements will be retained. Workers will also receive a $3,000 signing bonus. Premium pay at time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond scheduled hours will continue, and employees will have twelve paid holidays, including eight during the Christmas and New Year’s season.
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 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 in sectors such as aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive and others across both United States and Canada.
