The United Auto Workers (UAW) strike began at the Ford Michigan Assembly plant back in mid-September, after which it expanded to include the Chicago Assembly plant and Kentucky Assembly plant. However, Ford later reached a tentative deal with the union that includes a massive product investment from the automaker, and a few days later, its Detroit Big Three counterparts, General Motors and Stellantis, followed suit. However, UAW members must still vote on the tentative deal before it can officially take effect, and that process began recently as the Michigan Assembly plant, Buffalo Stamping plant, Chicago Assembly plant, and Kansas City Assembly plant all of which approved the deal by a large margin. Now, those workers have been joined by the ones at the Flat Rock Assembly plant, according to Mike Martinez of Automotive News.
Workers at UAW Local 3000, Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly, have voted in favor of the tentative agreement, per the local.
Production: 66.2% Y – 33.8% N (769-393)
Skilled Trades: 78.3% Y – 21.7% N (123-34)Ford employs about 1,600 workers there who build the Mustang.
— Michael Martinez (@MikeMartinez_AN) November 9, 2023
According to Martinez, of the 1,600 or so employees at the Flat Rock plant, a total of 66.2 percent of production workers voted in favor of the tentative contract, along with 78.3 percent of skilled trades workers. In Chicago, 55 percent of production workers voted in favor of the tentative agreement, along with 73 percent of skilled trades workers, compared to 62.9 percent of all UAW workers at the Kansas City plant, 78 percent of production workers and 80 percent of skilled trades workers at the Buffalo Stamping plant, and 81 percent of production workers and 90 percent of skilled trades workers at MAP.
The terms of Ford’s tentative agreement with the UAW include a 25 percent general pay increase across the lifespan of the contract, as well as the aforementioned multi-billion dollar investment on the automaker’s part into its current and future plants and products, plus various other concessions. Additionally, the old eight-year wage progression has been reduced to three years, while those with three or more years of service will automatically be bumped up to top pay if the deal is ratified. Cost of living adjustments will also make a return after they went away back in 2009 during the recession, and temporary employees will become full-time after 90 days of service once/if the deal if ratified, with future temp hires hitting that point in nine months.
We’ll have more on this new agreement soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford-UAW news, UAW news, and comprehensive Ford news coverage.
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