Ford – which has more United Auto Workers (UAW) union employees in its ranks than any other automaker – is facing an entirely new era in that regard as the later works to unionize future EV and EV battery plants such has BlueOval City and BlueOval Battery Park Michigan. Just a couple of months ago, Shawn Fain unseated former UAW president Ray Curry in a hotly contested runoff election, immediately promising to utilize more aggressive negotiation tactics with automakers, which we’ve seen at work with two union-represented Blue Oval suppliers already on strike, while another – Webasto – just voted to join the UAW as well. Now, the union has revealed its top issues of concern ahead of its forthcoming contract negotiations with the Detroit Big Three automakers, according to CNBC.
Eager to take a hard line with automakers and warning that possible strikes and labor shortages could very likely occur, the United Auto Workers union is looking for stronger job security amid the transition to electric vehicles, the end of a “grow-in” or tiered pay systems that result in different workers receiving different wages and benefits, and the return of a cost of living adjustment that was eliminated during the Great Recession.
Fain noted that the “union will not accept any concessions” when its comes to its negotiations with Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors, talks that are set to begin in July. The union’s current four-year contracts with the Big Three are set to expire this September, though this time around, things may look a little different than in the past. “I want to be clear on this, and I know this might sound crazy, but the choice of whether or not we go on strike is up to the Big Three,” said UAW Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock during a virtual union town hall. “We are clear about what we want.”
While the UAW typically targets one automaker to negotiate with first, setting the table for the other two to follow suit, Fain hinted that this year “may be different,” though he didn’t provide any specifics on that topic. “Here’s what you can expect from us – no more bargaining in total secrecy behind closed doors,” Fain said. “We’re going to be organizing national days of action in plants all around the country … showing the companies that we’re not playing around, that we mean business.”
We’ll have more on the UAW’s negotiations with Ford soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
If you want a Big Three car, buy it before September because it sounds like things could get really rocky. The Big Three aren’t necessarily known for being warm and fuzzy when it comes to negotiating with unions and suppliers.
Worked 31 years for Government Motors. Never had and never will buy anything made by Government Motors. Nothing but junk rolls off the lines. I would rather buy a toyota and listen to all you whiners make a fool of yourselves.
No consessions and the EV plants should be UAW with transfers from all plants by seniority!
Amen to that!
That’s right UAW. Make sure more production gets transferred to Mexico, China, and the like. Brilliant. The quality couldn’t be much worse than in Michigan
Yeah. Screw american workers. $7.25 is too much money!!!!
I have seen the quality reports.. Mexico plants are by far have the worst quality than any American plant..
Can the Retirees get something this round of negotiation? Some of us old timers have are living on pensions we got almost 30 years ago.
The US Supreme Court ruled that company’s do not have to do anything for retires.
They don’t have do anything for anyone if they don’t want, doesn’t mean it can’t be negotiated.
I’m sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.
But. I was told by an union rep.
Due to the US Supreme ruling.
The union can not initiate bargaining for retirees. That is all up to the big three if they want to negotiate anything for retirees.
Who else works for years w/o a raise, other than UAW workers?
I’m with you! When I was working I thought of the retirees during negotiations.
PREACH!!!! The uaw of today aint the same uaw you was in brother. Im a last generation of “legacy” workers. I have 5yrs left till i can retire. UAW & Ford, gm, stellanis/chrysler want all of us gone!
I have over 30 , and hopefully getting out . Past 15 year’s + we have lost so much so we could keep production going . We need cola, new people need to be with us on pay level, and so much more… if a strike is what it takes – let’s do it ..
Not thinking that this time. We are the ones consistently showing up every day.
Suck it up. Government Motors could careless about you. Same goes for the U Ain’t Working thieves.
Automakers went through 3 1/2 years pandemic and still reported record profit sharing numbers, so the car companies have plenty to a pay workers what they are worth. Quality is terrible because if you’re building a quality product then give the workers insensitive to build that quality product. When you start off at the same rate has a Walmart door greeter, why would you want to bust your butt in a hot assembly plant
People laugh at the starting salary when they can get a better starting salary at Chick Filet.
Pretty sad if you ask me..
But.. It’s the sad reality we live in.
All you ever hear from workers are the uaw can’t negotiate for retirees, well let me tell the company damn sure can take from retirees and if the workers are going to stand by what they say about retirees then when mgt tells the union to pack there $hit and get on down the road us retirees that stood on them cold @ss strikes getting 90% of what you already have will remind ya, well I guess they can’t negotiate for you either if that’s how you think. The union can negotiate for that damn tree in the company yard if they want to there is always a way for the uaw to do there business with them slimy turds. So we don’t forget and we haven’t had a raise in 20 years and everything in the world has doubled in price. But by God you still get your 100,000 a year and that big ol 10,000 dollar bonus don’t ya?
Why don’t suppliers get profit share bonuses?
They used to when they was all big 3 supplier plants. Thats why everything is outsourced now. None of the parts suppliers make what the vehicle assembly plant workers make. Its sad really!
The Simple Solution is to have a contract where labor rate are tied to what the top 10 officials get year to year as well as the board members get
It’s crazy how they expect us to give them such high quality products when they don’t pay us accordingly, they do not listen to our concerns about the plants, and the bosses are only worried about how fast we can build the product!!!
And just what is it that you think you are worth??????????????
Fellow laborers. People are saying $7 an hour more is ridiculous. So let me tell you back in 2008 we temporarily gave up our cost of living yes temporarily. We were supposed to get it back after the bankruptcy which was in 2011 the cost of living has gone up extremely take time to look into this so that you will see how much money we would have been making if we would have gotten our cost of living back. Today we we got more control over our leaders in international and now we are fighting corporations for what was rightfully supposed to be ours. Corporations got a 15% tax cut under are then presidents which was and is a businessman. No District disrespect for him. But this saved corporations trillions of dollars also corporations took away our choice of insurance they gave us insurance which saved them billions of dollars. They also hired our young men and women for $15 an hour and made them work ungodly days and hours. They are making thousands and thousands of dollars on the automobiles we are building today. With the new vehicles that are coming today the electric vehicles they no longer need as many laborers so thousands of Auto Workers will be losing their jobs. So they’ll also be saving billions of dollars. So please take time and stand behind the UAW. We were also supposed to get our 15 minute breaks back which the old Union did not fight for it let us Stand Together and fight together. For whenever we are divided we will surely fall. God bless you all.
What getting our pension back?
Been a UAW 33 years and still waiting on my 10.8 yearsl pension now that I need it.
They better come with a $10 an hour raise off the bat for skilled trades and Cola back . Trades and top paid line workers are way too close in pay for skilled needed to be in skilled trades. Our leadership are idiots for thinking that. $5 an hour difference for years and years it takes to be a good skilled tradesman ? GTFOH . Should be $15 an hour difference between the two easily. Trades should be making $50 an hour on the check easy now a days. They also need to have difference wage scales to encourage them to learn more. The worker gets all the work and the slugs and less educated get nothing. It’s not the 50s anymore where there is 50 different trades. Millwrights absorbed the welders and sheet metal workers and pipe welders for zero more pay negotiated by the corrupt UAW. Get some brains. We are also absorbing the painters and carpenters when the last of them retire for zero more pay. MORE SKILLS EQUALS MORE PAY!!!!! What doesn’t UAW leadership understand about that? To complex for you or what????????
And just what skill does it take to loosen a screw. You over estimate your skills.