Ford Motor Co’s USA union workers narrowly approved a four-year labor contract after a late push for support by United Auto Workers leaders, the UAW said late Friday night. Almost 51% production members, 52% skilled trades, and 92% of salaried workers were in favor of the pact.
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“We will continue to work with our UAW partners to implement the agreement, and engage our employees in improving the business and building great vehicles for our customers”, GM’s statement read.
That stalled ratification, as the UAW investigated why the group representing about 8,500 workers or about 16 percent of GMs hourly workforce voted against the deal.
UAW leaders have been meeting with the holdouts since then, and on Friday the leaders said they had chose to declare the contract ratified – a move that is allowed under the union’s rues.
UAW members at Ford started voting Thursday on their tentative contract. “Through a rational and democratic procedure U.A.W.-Ford members have produced occupation protection and powerful economical increases for their families and communities”.
GM said it was pleased the UAW ratified the agreement because it was good for both workers and the company.
“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.
“Based on how most the U.A.W.-G.M. membership concerns about shielding the core trades categorizations and seniority rights have now been fulfilled, the global Executive Board took action to officially ratify the U.A.W.-G.M. national understanding”, the U.A.W. said in a statement.
“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. It said the contract helps the company, employees and their communities.
Many believe the eight-year progression to top wages should have been shorter and felt retirees deserved more.
The deal gives all workers significant raises. General Motors’ contract was approved earlier Friday after extended negotiations with skilled trades workers like electricians, who had initially rejected it. The contracts cover around 142,000 workers in all.
GM joins Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in striking a new four-year nationwide agreement with the UAW.
The contract included bonuses of as much as $10,250 for each worker in 2015 and profit sharing annually as well as other types of bonuses annually following that.
Ford was the only one to ratify without any delays or need to resume talks. GM’s per hour labor are up $5 and Ford’s rose $3.
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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.
