UAW deals with Ford, GM ratified

The UAW said late Friday that Ford’s contract passed with a 51.4-percent vote. The parties ended up compromising on these issues, but the delay in the contract’s ratification created tension in a few plants between production workers, who approved the deal, and skilled trades workers, since the majority of skilled trades voted against the deal while most of UAW hourly employees voted in its favor.

There is not any higher authority that union membership, which through a democratic and fair process the members of the UAW-Ford have delivered new job security and solid economic gains for their many families and our communities. A second proposal that set an eight-year path from hiring to top pay was overwhelmingly approved at Fiat Chrysler, which had the most second-tier workers.

The three contracts cover about 142,000 workers.

Now, all three of Detroit’s automakers have ratified contracts, four months after talks began between the UAW and Ford, General Motors Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The extension also created tension in a few plants between production workers, who approved the deal, and skilled trades workers.

G.M. said in a statement that the four-year deal was great for workers and company. But then the tide turned and a few of the larger plants voted no. They gained critical mass and in the final days, the “no” vote had the lead and union leaders were scrambling to salvage the deal.

“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.

A few Ford workers pointed to the outcome at FCA as evidence that voting “no” would produce a better deal for themselves as well.

“Based on the fact that the majority of the UAW-GM membership concerns about protecting the core trades classifications and seniority rights have now been met, the global Executive Board took action to formally ratify the UAW-GM national agreement”, the UAW said in a statement.

“If we thought there was another dollar on the table, we would’ve gotten it the first time”, Local 600 President Bernie Ricke said at a press conference Wednesday to counter the opposition.

“There was a lot of pressure for more raises and to get rid of the second tier even faster”, said Kristin Dziczek, director of the labor and industry group at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ford will make a $1,500-per-worker profit-sharing payment early, for a total of $10,000 paid immediately to workers.

Art Wheaton, a labor expert from Cornell, said the close vote means both sides did their job. It was dubbed one of the “richest agreements in the history of UAW-Ford” by the union.