Workers at USA auto giant Ford narrowly ratified the company’s four-year labor deal with the United Auto Workers, the labor union announced.
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As per the four-year agreement, which came into effect Monday, the union spent two weeks researching why skilled trades workers rejected the deal, even though it had been approved by production workers.
“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.
The Ford agreement, patterned on deals at Fiat Chrysler and GM, provides a path for newer workers to climb to senior wages of about $29 an hour over an eight-year period. “Through a rational and democratic procedure U.A.W.-Ford members have produced occupation protection and powerful economical increases for their families and communities”.
“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.
The ratified agreement between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the union is expected to boost the cost to $56 by 2019 from $47 today.
“General Motors is pleased that the UAW membership ratified the 2015 UAW-GM National Agreement, which is good for employees and the business”, Katie McBride, GM spokeswoman said in a statement.
Ford’s deal is even richer than GM’s or FCA’s, with $8,500 signing bonuses, versus $8,000 and $3,000, respectively, for the other automakers.
“We used to have 97 percent of the market and now we’ve got 47 percent, so it’s not like it was”, said Bernie Ricke, president of UAW Local 600, which represents workers at the F-150 plant in Dearborn.
UAW officials spent the final days of voting urging Local 600 workers to vote “yes”, warning that a rejection would not result in a better contract and could instead lead to Ford pulling back on plans to invest $9 billion in its USA manufacturing operations. Specifically, skilled trades workers opposed section of the contract meant to reduce the amount of skilled classifications, particularly among mechanical crafts such as millwrights, pipefitters, machine fix people and tool makers who make up 16 percent of total hourly employees.
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.
“At the bargaining table, you can get raises or you can get jobs”, Dziczek said.
Union leaders met with GM and the company agreed to changes that protect core trades classifications and seniority rights, the UAW said in a statement Friday.
The deal gives all workers significant raises. ( F ) that boost pay for workers.
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The contract is likely to cost GM more money.
