UAW Ratifies Ford and GM Contracts

Ford’s union workers in Louisville rejected the contract by a more than 60 percent margin earlier this week.

In recent years, agreements have held the line on labor costs, put a lot of cash in the pockets of UAW members and provided incentives to automakers to hire more workers, which has boosted the union’s membership rolls, according to Schwartz.

Ford workers narrowly voted to approve their new four-year agreement after a nail-biting process that kept everyone guessing until the final ballots were cast and counted. Roughly 51.3 percent of production workers voted for the deal, while 52.4 percent skilled trades said “yes”.

Bringing to a close a tumultuous negotiating season with American vehicle manufacturing companies, contracts were ratified by the United Automobile Workers with Ford Motor and General Motors. “The voice of the majority has secured a strong future that will provide job security and economic stability for themselves and their families”.

UAW-Ford Department Vice President Jimmy Settles said, “There is no higher authority than the membership”. “UAW-Ford members have delivered job security and strong economic gains for their families and communities”.

A last-ditch push by UAW leaders to rally support for a proposed contract with Ford Motor Co. mustered just enough votes to overcome widespread opposition and bitterness among workers as the company generates record profits.

Ford was the last of the Detroit automakers to win approval for its contract.

Of course, Ford is happy with the new deal. This was a bone of contention for a few union members. Leading up to negotiations this year, UAW President Dennis Williams repeatedly promised workers that this round of talks represented “our time” to recover what had been given up.

“Ms. Bell stopped getting raises over a decade past, so you are not doing me any favors by giving me 3 percent”.

That was before a big auto plant in Chicago voted 68 percent against the contract.In a statement, GM said ratification of the contract was “good for employees and the business”. The contract raises wages for all workers, provides an $8,500 signing bonus and promises $9 billion in investments at Ford’s US plants over four years.

The fate of the Ford deal came down to Local 600 in Dearborn, which finished voting at 6 p.m. Friday.

The review of skilled trades workers concerns found they had issues pertaining to local contract agreements, reclassification of trades, numbers of apprentices, concern over outsourcing or loss of jobs and the absence of cost of living increases and buyouts. Even though they were outnumbered by production workers, who approved it by 58% to 42%, the union’s constitution required meetings to learn the strongest objections were that led to skilled trades rejecting the contract.