Union members voted Friday to make the concessions necessary for boat manufacturer Mercury Marine to keep its Fond du Lac location open and to bring more jobs in from other facilities.

The members of International Association of Machinists Local 1947 approved an alteration of their current labor agreement after three attempts at resolving the conflict. The first vote, held Aug. 23, decisively shot down Mercury Marine’s proposed changes and a second vote was shot down last weekend.

If the Fond du Lac union workers had not agreed to Mercury Marine’s demands, the plant would have moved to Stillwater, Okla., according to Mercury Marine spokesperson Mark Lee.

“We have presented our best and final offer and the union (previously) voted it down,” Lee said. “If they accept it then we will begin moving work from Stillwater to Fond du Lac, but if they reject it, we will start moving work to Stillwater.”

According to Lee, the company has been experiencing some hardships in light of the current economic situation.

“Like most businesses right now, our sales have been going down lower and lower over the past eight quarters and we’re at a point where we need to take some action to reduce costs so we can maintain profitability and stay a viable company,” Lee said.

The Fond du Lac and Stillwater plants are two of Mercury Marine’s larger manufacturing facilities, Lee said, and consolidation is necessary because the company does not have enough sales to warrant a lot of manufacturing.

Lee added that both Wisconsin and Oklahoma have put together packages to entice the company to stay in their respective states.

In a statement, IAM District 10 representative Russ Krings said the workers made the difficult decision to accept the new terms on their contracts in order to secure their jobs.

“Let’s be clear. This decision to modify our current labor agreement is a huge sacrifice on the part of our members and should not be taken lightly,” Krings said.

Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, praised Mercury Marine’s decision in a statement on Friday.

“I am very pleased with Mercury Marine’s decision to continue operations in Fond du Lac,” Sheridan said. “This move sustains hundreds of family-supporting jobs, and improves the economic outlook for both the region and the state.”

Sheridan added Assembly Democrats have approved more than $200 million in tax credits and incentives geared toward growing existing Wisconsin businesses and attracting new ones.

Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, agreed that Mercury Marine’s decision to remain in Wisconsin is a great thing for the state.

“I am glad the union recognized that we are all in competition with other states and other countries,” Grothman said.

Grothman added that though the workers were forced to take cuts, many would be glad to keep their jobs.