FERNDALE, Mich., June 14, 2026, 10:13 EDT
- Twenty-four members of Teamsters Local 283 at Airgas in Ferndale are going back to their jobs. They’ll get full back pay and benefits.
- An arbitration panel has ruled after about a year of labor tensions with drivers, pump fillers and loaders.
- Airgas operates as a subsidiary of France’s Air Liquide, the industrial gases group.
Airgas is set to bring back 24 workers in Ferndale, Michigan, after an arbitrator sided with Teamsters Local 283 in a case running close to a year, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said, citing local Michigan outlets. The returning group—drivers, pump fillers, and loaders—will get full back pay and benefits. Airgas supplies industrial, medical, and specialty gases.
About May 15, 2025, workers went on strike, with the union saying Airgas kept failing to give a fair contract, ClickOnDetroit reported. The Teamsters said the arbitration came after almost a year of lockout, claiming unfair labor practices—like threats, lockouts, firings, retaliation, and no notice or chance to bargain.
Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien said Airgas workers “endured hardship for almost a full year as Airgas tried to wear them down,” in a union statement published by PR Newswire. O’Brien said they “didn’t even think about crossing the picket line.” He called the arbitration decision proof that “employers who violate workers’ rights will be held accountable.” PR Newswire
Juan Campos, Teamsters Tankhaul Division director and an international vice president at-large, pushed back against how the company dealt with the dispute. “Airgas thought it could retaliate against our members and get away with it,” Campos said. He said workers are “going back to work with full back pay and benefits.” International Brotherhood of Teamsters
The arbitrator ordered the workers reinstated with all pay and benefits, according to local reports. WNEM said Airgas union members had accused the company of several unfair labor practices. ClickOnDetroit said Local 4 tried to get a comment from Airgas, but the company did not respond, the outlets said.
Ferndale workers are looking at back pay and benefits that could make up for lost wages and job compensation from the dispute. The case comes as union campaigns across transportation, logistics and industry have kept an eye on how reinstatement and back-pay issues are handled by employers and labor groups.
Airgas belongs to Air Liquide, the French gases and technologies giant. Air Liquide calls itself a global leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and health, with operations in 59 countries and millions of customers and patients. The Teamsters say Airgas is the biggest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases.
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