Auto technicians at Mercedes-Benz of San Diego go on strike

About three dozen union auto technicians at the Mercedes-Benz of San Diego dealership in Kearny Mesa have walked off the job, amid faltering contract talks.

The dealership’s management, which is one of 146 operations across the country in the Penske Automotive Group, says it has offered master and certified-level technicians “a massive increase in their pay” but the workers’ union accuses Mercedes-Benz of San Diego of negotiating in bad faith.

“They’re enforcing rules that were never rules before,” said Pedro Gomez, a technician at the dealership and shop steward at International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local Lodge 1484. “We feel it was, in turn, to try and intimidate us so that we would take a lesser deal.”

According to Gomez, the existing contract expired in April and after a meeting last week union members decided to walk out on Friday. He said five technicians are still working at the dealership while about 36 others have joined the strike and are walking on the sidewalk in front of the dealership, holding signs and waving at drivers passing by on Kearny Mesa Road.

Mercedes-Benz of San Diego has advertised online for replacement technicians.

“We are looking for employees to cross the picket line and join other Mercedes-Benz San Diego employees working to keep the dealership’s service department operating during the strike,” the ad said.

In a statement to the Union-Tribune, management called the strike a breach of a prior agreement and said the union “made unreasonable demands.” The dealership said it offered a 15.1 percent increase in the base pay of master technicians, a 10 percent increase in the base pay of certified technicians and “annual increases thereafter.”

Gomez said the dealership is “offering us more but they want to take away a benefit of a weekly guarantee, which means that if the shop ever gets slow, we wouldn’t have the guarantee we used to have.” Gomez accused the dealership of trying to send him to another location “so they can get me away from the unit.”

According to Gomez, the hourly salary for a technician at Mercedes-Benz of San Diego ranges from $30 per hour to $34 per hour.

“This is San Diego. The cost of living here is outrageous,” Gomez said. “Technicians are in high demand ... Not anybody can come work here. They’re having trouble replacing us because no one’s going to come work here for less.”

In its statement, the dealership said the proposed pay increases “coming on the heels of annual increases in the prior contract, are groundbreaking and an example of our commitment to paying competitive wages.”

Despite the back and forth, both sides said they are open to restarting negotiations.

“Mercedes-Benz of San Diego looks forward to meeting with the IAM’s representatives in order to reach a contract that works for both sides,” the dealer said.

“We’re ready to get back to the table and continue to have fair negotiations,” Gomez said. “We’re not ready to get back to the table and have unfair negotiations.”

Two months ago, a Penske dealership in Oregon ratified a three-year contract with a local union representing 45 machinists at two facilities in Portland and another in Gresham.