Ford, UAW Contract Negotiations Kick Off with a Hearty Handshake
Photo: Ford Motor Company
Negotiations are underway between Ford Motor Company and the United Auto Workers as they seek to establish a new, mutually beneficial contract. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement between UAW and the Big Three — Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles — is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sept. 14; short of a new contract, the parties can agree to extend the current deal from 2015 or continue work temporarily without a contract until one can be signed, or the UAW can call for a strike.
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Gary Jones, the president of UAW International, and Rory Gamble, UAW International Vice President, were among the representatives present at Ford World Headquarters last week for the start of negotiations. Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford and CEO Jim Hackett were on the other side of the table, and the four shared handshakes as negotiations got underway.
Photo: Ford Motor Company
At the first day of negotiation, Jones said that despite the record profits enjoyed by Ford, American workers are still being asked to make concessions. Jones told Hackett and Ford, “This must stop,” warning that the talks between the two sides could determine the survival of the middle class in the auto industry.
Ford and UAW last finalized a four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2015, which called for the Detroit automaker to make a $9 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing and create or retain at least 8,500 jobs. Ford says that is has far exceeded these figures in the past four years, and the agreement helped pave the way for the Ranger and Bronco to be produced at Michigan Assembly Plant.
Ford builds more vehicles in the United States and currently employs more UAW-represented workers than any other automaker, which is why it has been established as the frontrunner for the lead company in the proceedings. If Ford remains the lead company, the UAW will seek an agreement with Ford first and expect the other two automakers to fall in line.
After the first day of negotiations, Ford President of Automotive Joe Hinrichs said that the talks are typical and that he expects both sides to reach a functional agreement.
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