Over the past four years, Ford workers have received more than $30,000 in profit sharing, the union said. The other alternative is to “override” the minority group which the skill-trades workers constitute and ratify contract, given the larger portion of production members’. But the skilled trades workers actually said no by nearly 60%.
Advertisement
Overall, 55.43 percent of production and skilled trades employees combined voted for the agreement and 44.57 percent voted against the contract, according to UAW global. Once that inquiry has concluded, the UAW’s worldwide Executive Board shall meet to determine what appropriate steps shall be taken. UAW stated that “The results of this process can not change aspects of the agreement which are common to all members”.
First tier workers will receive two, 3-percent base wage increases and two, 4 percent lump sum bonuses over the course of the contract.
The deal includes across-the-board raises for workers for the first time since Ford struggled to survive during the recession six years ago.
The pressure now falls on Ford plant leaders who will meet on Monday in Detroit to talk terms of the agreement.
GM said it’s hopeful the deal will still be approved.
“The agreement, if ratified, will help lead the Ford Motor Company, our employees and our communities into the future”, Ford’s global labor chief, John Fleming, said in a statement.
Ford is the only automaker that reached a deal with the UAW before a strike deadline was issued by the union.
Getting the GM deal approved in one round of voting contrasts with the situation at Fiat Chrysler, where the pact was initially rejected.
The pact would cover 52,600 GM workers at 63 US facilities.
However, for the President of UAW, Dennis Williams, the quandary continues. Previously, we workers would not have been paid on any profits above $12 billion.
The union was also seeking a richer contract from Ford, which earned $1.9 billion in the third quarter, including a record $2.7 billion pretax profit in North America.
GM now pays recent hires around $15.78 per hour.
Advertisement
Ford’s 124,000 retirees will receive $1,000 over the course of the four-year agreement. It also extends full health benefits to lower-tier workers.
