Now one of America’s largest truck manufacturers is getting slammed by UAW strikes as more than 3,500 workers walk out

United Automobile Workers have been striking for five weeks.
Now, more than 3,500 UAW workers at Mack Trucks, which is one of America's largest truck manufacturers and is part of the Volvo Group, are striking too.
The head of Mack Trucks warned in a statement that production might be delayed if the strikes, which began October 12, continue.
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America's $800 billion trucking industry is finally getting hit by the United Automobile Workers strike.

The UAW has 400,000 active members at some 1,600 employers in the United States and Canada . For five weeks, some 46,000 workers at General Motors have been on a nationwide strike . And since October 12, some 3,500 UAW members at Mack Trucks' plants in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Florida are striking, too.

Mack Trucks is one of the largest trucking manufacturers in North America. It's part of the Volvo Group, which delivered 123,831 trucks globally in the first half of 2019.

These striking employees manufacture trucks and engines for the North American market. However, this market has long-term headwinds as emerging markets like Brazil, Mexico, India, and China become more attractive for truck manufacturers, according to a PwC report .

Meanwhile, truck manufacturing has suffered in 2019 after a red-hot market last year. North America's four largest truck makers, including Volvo, ordered 80% fewer heavy-duty trucks in July 2019 than the year before, according to ACT Research data reported by The Wall Street Journal .

"The last four years we have helped Mack Truck make significant profit through our work," said Doug Irvine, president of UAW Local 2301 and president of the Mack Truck Council, in a statement. "All we are asking is that the company treat us with the dignity and respect we deserve in making them successful."

The UAW says Mack Truck needs to address wage increases, job security, cost of living allowances, holiday schedules, and other labor issues.

Mack Trucks President Martin Weissburg countered in a statement that the company has invested more than $400 million in its domestic plants in the past 10 years. Mack Trucks has created more than 500 jobs in the US as it "continues to compete against products built in lower-cost countries," Weissburg said.

Are you a member of the UAW? Do you work in trucking? Email rpremack@businessinsider.com .

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