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The Mechanics' Strike Comes To An End

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Nearly 2,000 Chicago area mechanics will head back to work on Monday, bringing an end to a seven-week strike.

The mechanics, represented by IAM Automobile Mechanics Local 701, reached a new four-year deal with the Chicago New Car Dealer Committee (NCDC), the union said.

"We wrestled them down, defending each of their moves to where they finally tapped out," said Local 701 Directing Business Representative Sam Cicinelli. "They waved the white flag and capitulated to our demands."

But it wasn't without a fight. The union said the reached upon agreement was the fourth offer made.

"We improved on each major proposal you originally asked for with the exception of one," Cicinelli said. "Did we get it all? No. But we made improvements and moved in the right direction, all while giving up nothing in exchange for those items. We earned them by laying down our tools and taking a stance."

The terms of the final agreement mirror the same offer agreed upon by the individual dealerships who broke ranks during the strike with the dealer association and, instead, settled interim agreements with the union directly, according to a press release.

The union said the contract now addresses a number of the union's key issues, including a significant wage increase across the board and the mechanics' number one issue of increasing their base pay two additional hours over the term of the agreement.

The mechanics, from 130 new car dealerships in the Chicago area, had been on strike since early August.

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