TA 2026 v3 — Article-by-Article Changes

All Articles (26)

✅ Gains (10)

⚠ Concerns (2)

⚡ Mixed (2)

🔍 Verify (2)

📋 Unchanged (10)

Gains

Concerns

Mixed

Verify With Rep

✅ Gains & Improvements

💵

Article 23 — $2,500 Ratification Bonus

GAIN

2021 CBA

No bonus

2026 TA v3

$2,500 upon ratification — all active seniority employees

Paid upon ratification. Employees on leave receive payment when they return to active status. Up from $2,000 in TA v2. The $3,000 grievance settlement check from TA v2 is not in TA v3 — that was a one-time item tied to a specific grievance Nexteer won back.

💰

Article 23 — Wages: Higher Across All Classifications, Backdated to 3/21/2026

GAIN

All increases effective March 21, 2026 — members receive back pay to that date upon ratification. Cumulative US inflation 2021–2026 = 20.60% (BLS.gov). Year 1 raises range from 7–11% — below full inflation recovery for most full-time classifications.

Classification	2021 Base	TA v2	TA v3 (3/21/26)	2027	2028	2029	2030
NH Start Rate	$17.00	$19.50	$19.50	$20.09	$20.69	$21.31	$21.95
Production	$21.50	$22.93	$24.00	$25.00	$25.50	$26.25	$27.00
TL Production	$22.00	$23.93	$25.00	$26.00	$26.50	$27.25	$28.00
Specialized	$22.75	$24.68	$25.25	$26.25	$26.75	$27.50	$28.25
TL Specialized	$23.25	$25.68	$27.25	$28.25	$28.75	$29.50	$30.25
Semi-Skilled	$24.25	$26.18	$26.75	$27.75	$28.25	$29.00	$29.75
TL Semi-Skilled	$24.75	$27.18	$28.75	$29.75	$30.25	$31.00	$31.75
Trades	$38.00	$42.00	$42.00	$43.25	$44.50	$45.50	$47.00
TL Trades	$38.50	$43.00	$44.00	$45.25	$46.50	$47.50	$49.00
PT Production	$20.50	$25.93	$27.00	$28.00	$28.50	$29.25	$30.00

Increases effective 3/21/2026, 4/1/2027, 4/1/2028, 4/1/2029, 4/1/2030. Contract expires December 20, 2030. Back pay from 3/21/2026 paid upon ratification.

🏥

Articles 11, 16 & 24 — ESTA 72 Hours + VR System Restored (Best of Both)

GAIN

💡 What is ESTA? Michigan's Earned Sick Time Act — state law requiring paid sick time at your regular wage rate. Not unpaid leave. Under TA v3, Nexteer front-loads 72 hours each January. The old VR (Restricted Vacation) rules also apply to 40 of those hours.

2021 CBA

40 hrs VR — 6-minute increments, 5 uses/year, no prior approval

2026 TA v3

72 hrs ESTA front-loaded + 40 hrs usable as VR (6-min increments, 5 uses/year, no prior approval)

This is the key ESTA improvement over TA v1 and TA v2. You get 72 hours total AND the familiar VR flexibility for 40 of those hours — 6-minute increments, no prior approval needed (except days adjacent to holidays), up to 5 unexcused occurrences per year. ESTA absences remain explicitly exempt from attendance points. Unused ESTA paid out annually. New hires wait 90 days.

📅

Article 11 — ESTA Use Can't Strip Your Right to Decline 3rd Saturday

GAIN

2021 CBA

Any unexcused absence the prior week could strip your Saturday decline right

2026 TA v3

ESTA absences explicitly cannot be coded unexcused for the Saturday 2-of-3 rule

After 2 consecutive Saturdays you may decline the 3rd — as long as no unexcused absence the prior week. ESTA use cannot be used against you for this purpose.

🛡

Article 17 — Life Insurance: Age-65 Reduction Eliminated, AD&D Doubled

GAIN

2021 CBA

Life insurance reduced at age 65 | AD&D = 50% of base wage

2026 TA v3

Age-65 reduction eliminated | AD&D = 1× base wage (doubled)

👟

Article 12 — Safety Shoe Voucher: $100 → $150/Year

GAIN

2021 CBA

$100/year

2026 TA v3

$150/year

🦷

Article 17 — New Hire Dental & Vision: 36-Month Wait Eliminated

GAIN — NEW HIRES

2021 CBA

36-month wait for dental & vision

2026 TA v3

Eligible same time as medical — first of month after 60 days

➕

Article 17 — Voluntary Benefits Added (Critical Illness, Accident, Hospital)

GAIN

2021 CBA

Not available

2026 TA v3

Group Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital insurance — voluntary after-tax, starting 1/1/2027

📆

Article 23 — Raises Backdated to March 21, 2026

GAIN

TA v1 & v2

Effective at ratification date only

TA v3

Effective 3/21/2026 — back pay from that date paid upon ratification

Members who have been working since March 21 will receive a lump sum back pay check covering the difference between their current rate and the new rate for every hour worked since that date.

🏆

Article 24D — Perfect Attendance Incentive Doubled: 8 → 16 Hours

GAIN

2021 CBA

8 hrs vacation or pay per 6-month perfect attendance period

2026 TA v3

16 hrs vacation or pay per 6-month perfect attendance period

Award periods: September 1–February 28 and March 1–August 31. Maximum 32 hours per year (up from 16). Perfect attendance = no "U", "2", "3", "8", "D", "E", "S", or "G" codes on your record. Pay is the default election unless you choose vacation hours. This is a confirmed gain — explicitly written into Article 24D.

⚠ Concerns

📋

Article 24 — Attendance: 12-Point Discharge Threshold Unchanged for Third Time

CONCERN

💡 ESTA absences are explicitly exempt from attendance points. Using your 72 ESTA hours to call in does NOT count against you. The VR rules also apply to 40 of those hours.

Item	2021 CBA	2026 TA v3
Tardy (less than 4 hours)	1 point	1 point
Tardy (4 hours or more)	3 points	3 points
Absent	3 points	3 points
Discharge threshold	18 points	12 points ↓
Points on record	12 months	12 months
ESTA absences	Not addressed	Explicitly exempt

Members voted down TA v1 and TA v2 partly over this. It remains at 12 in TA v3. The ESTA + VR protection is meaningful, but the lower threshold is still a real reduction in job security for members with any attendance challenges outside of ESTA coverage.

⏳

Article 23 — New Hire Grow-In Still 48 Months for Future Hires

CONCERN

2021 CBA

Grow-in to production rate — standard timeline

2026 TA v3

Employees hired AFTER ratification grow into production rate after 48 months

Current NH employees keep 24-month grow-in. This only affects future hires — but it signals longer periods at the lower NH rate for anyone hired after ratification.

⚡ Mixed

🏥

Article 17 — Healthcare: Same as TA v2 (Effective 1/1/2027)

MIXED

Legacy employees (hired before 5/24/2021) keep $0 weekly premiums. Plan design changes effective 1/1/2027. Identical to TA v2.

Item	2021 CBA (Current)	TA v3 (from 1/1/27)
Weekly Premium	$0	$0	✓ Same
Deductible self/family	$1,000/$2,000	$1,500/$3,000	↑ Worse
Coinsurance	80/20	90/10	✓ Better
Out-of-pocket max	$3,400/$6,800	$3,075/$6,150	✓ Better
ER copay	$150	$225	↑ Worse
PCP / Specialist	$20 / $40	$20 / $40	✓ Same
Generic Rx	$15	$20	↑ Worse
Preferred Rx	$30	$30	✓ Same

🏖

Article 16 — Vacation: 15+ Years Still Top Bracket at 160 Hrs

UNCHANGED

Seniority	2021 CBA	2026 TA v3
Less than 1 year	40 hrs (prorated)	72 hrs (ESTA)
1–3 years	80 hrs	80 hrs
3–5 years	100 hrs	100 hrs
5–10 years	120 hrs	120 hrs
10–15 years	140 hrs	140 hrs
15+ years	160 hrs	160 hrs

Of total vacation, 72 hrs are ESTA front-loaded each January. 15+ years remains the top bracket — the 20+ year tier proposed in TA v1 never made it into any ratified contract.

🔍 Verify With Your Rep

📅

Deferred Holidays (Art. 16 Sec. 8) ✓ ConfirmedWorking a designated holiday + Group Leader pre-approval = bank hours as a paid flex day. Non-Christmas hours paid out January if unused. Christmas hours can carry over. Deferred hours don't count toward OT. Explicitly in TA v3.

⏱

Overtime Reimbursement Voucher (MOU 13) ✓ ConfirmedOT rights violated = makeup voucher for hours at date of your choosing. Saturday OT vouchers can excuse a future mandatory Saturday within 90 days. Explicitly in TA v3.

📋 Unchanged from 2021 CBA

📅

Saturday 2-of-3 Rule (Art. 11)After 2 consecutive Saturdays you may decline the 3rd — no unexcused absence the prior week. ESTA absences cannot be used against you. Unchanged.

🚫

Sunday OT Always Voluntary (Art. 11)Sunday overtime is never mandatory. Sunday hours over 40 in the work week = double time. Unchanged.

📝

Grievance Procedure (Art. 6)6-step process, timelines, committeeperson access unchanged. File within 7 working days (3 for discipline/discharge).

🔧

Discipline (Art. 7)Corrective not punitive. 24-month lookback. 12-month clearing between infractions. Unchanged.

📊

Seniority & Layoff (Art. 8)Seniority rules, layoff order, recall rights, severance ($1,500/month up to $40,000). Unchanged.

🚫

No Strike / No Lockout (Art. 18)Union agrees not to strike; company agrees not to lock out. Authorized strikes require International UAW sanction. Unchanged.

💰

Legacy Healthcare Premiums (Art. 17)$0 weekly premiums for employees hired before 5/24/2021. Unchanged.

⏰

Relief Time (Art. 27)6 minutes per hour worked, 30-minute lunch. Continuous operations: 46 minutes total. Unchanged.

🎓

Tuition Assistance (Art. 30)Reimbursement or up-front payment for approved fields of study. Unchanged.