About Us

UAW Local 74 proudly represents the men and women of John Deere Ottumwa Works. Chartered on April 29, 1942, our local has spent more than eight decades protecting fair wages, strong benefits, safe working conditions, job security, and dignity for working people.

Our roots extend far beyond the walls of the plant. Our members live in Ottumwa and throughout rural communities across several surrounding counties. Many are part of multigenerational John Deere families, carrying forward a proud tradition of skill, hard work, and union solidarity from one generation to the next.

We are neighbors, parents, grandparents, veterans, volunteers, coaches, church members, farmers, and supporters of local businesses. We send our children to area schools, shop in local stores, eat at local restaurants, attend county fairs, support community events, donate to local causes, and stand beside our neighbors when hardship strikes.

The wages earned by Local 74 members continue working throughout the communities we call home. They support small businesses, family farms, schools, public services, charities, and local organizations. Our members help build equipment that supports agriculture and feeds the world while also helping sustain the rural communities that make this area strong.

Our commitment to this region is deeply personal. These are not simply the communities where we work. They are where generations of our families have built homes, raised children, formed lifelong friendships, and planted deep roots. Their future is our future. When our communities succeed, our members succeed. When our neighbors need support, Local 74 believes in showing up.

Through collective bargaining, workplace representation, volunteer service, and community involvement, UAW Local 74 continues the proud tradition established by the generations who came before us. We are deeply invested in protecting working families, strengthening the local economy, and ensuring that rural communities throughout Ottumwa and the surrounding region remain places where future generations can live, work, and thrive.