New Contract at Libbey Glass

USW members who work at Libbey Glass in Toledo, Ohio, voted overwhelmingly in February 2026 to ratify a new contract, ending an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike that stretched more than five months.

The 650 workers at the plant – including members of USW Locals 59M, 700T and 65T, as well as members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1297 – launched the ULP strike in August 2025 as management refused to pull back from its insistence on unnecessary concessions.

Dave Nelson, president of Local 59M, said workers at the factory took pay cuts and accepted other concessions in 2020 and 2021 to help pull the company out of bankruptcy. The cost of those sacrifices was about $32 million.

When Libbey management came back to the bargaining table in 2024, Nelson said, workers expected the now-profitable company to negotiate a fair agreement. Instead, management demanded more concessions.

“It was a total slap in the face,” said Nelson, who has worked at Libbey for 19 years. “Their goal was to totally rewrite the contract and give members no control over anything, not scheduling, days off, or overtime.”

Despite Libbey’s demands, a difficult holiday season and a series of winter storms, members stood strong on the picket line thanks to their unwavering solidarity, he said.

“We took care of each other. We had donations from other locals. We had support from the international union. All of that got us through,” Nelson said. “Our motto from day one was ‘one day longer, one day stronger.’”

In February, members of Local 59M and Local 700T ratified new agreements, following successful votes by Local 65T and IAM members in January. Members gained significant wage increases and resisted Libbey’s concessionary demands.

Local 700T President Joyce Marland said pushing back on the company’s demand for forced overtime, while preserving premium pay for weekends and holidays, were major victories for USW members.

“We stuck together,” Marland said. “The members showed that they believe in each other.”