Ford workers narrowly approve new UAW contract

The Dearborn Truck Plant, with more than 4,300 workers, was 74% in favor which was thought to be enough to carry all of Local 600 to passing the vote and in turn ensure the entire contract is ratified, said Nick Kottalis, chairman of Local 600, shortly before the final results were released.

On Wednesday, the union launched a last-ditch effort to save the pact as UAW-Ford Vice President Jimmy Settles and Local 600 President Bernie Ricke called a news conference in Dearborn to emphasize the contract’s benefits.

The deal was ratified by 51.3 percent of production workers and 52.4 percent of skilled-trades workers, the United Auto Workers said in an e-mailed statement.

“There is no higher authority than the membership”.

“The General Motors Co. was notified on November 20 that the agreement has been ratified”, wrote UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada in a letter to union leadership late Friday. General Motors’ contract was approved earlier on Friday after extended negotiations with skilled-trades workers such as electricians who had initially rejected it. The UAW and GM agreed to protect job classifications and seniority-related rights.

“Our UAW members have ratified the national agreement after a long process and much debate”.

“The voice of the majority has secured a strong future that will provide job security and economic stability for themselves and their families”, Williams said.

Ford workers across the country have voted in favor of a new four-year contract. A week ago, the union announced a rarity, extending the contract ratification deadline through Friday as talks with GM about skilled trades concerns continued; the original ratification deadline had been November 13. It includes a signing bonus, profit sharing plan, and other lump-sum payments likely to add up to tens of thousands of dollars for each worker over four years. 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. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles costs will rise to $56 per hour by 2019, up from $47 per hour before its workers ratified a new four-year contract that went into effect last month. Newer workers will now receive full pay within eight years.

Kristin Dziczek, director of the labor and industry group at the Center for Automotive Research, said the overall cost of the two FCA deals was virtually identical, but that the second agreement gave workers less job security in exchange for letting Tier 2 workers eventually earn more money.

It took two tries to get a Fiat-Chrysler deal approved by the rank and file earlier this fall.

The contract is likely to cost GM more money.