UAW and Ford reach agreement to end labor strike
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union and Ford have come to a tentative agreement, putting an end to the nearly six-week strike. As announced by the union on Wednesday evening, the deal entails a 25% salary increase over the agreement's duration, pushing the highest wage to over $40 an hour, and a 68% boost for starting wages to over $28 an hour. UAW President Shawn Fain stated in an online video, "We won things nobody thought was possible."
Here are key provisions of the tentative agreement
The provisional agreement between UAW and Ford also encompasses the reintroduction of cost-of-living adjustments, a three-year trajectory to top wages, and the ability to strike over plant shutdowns, among other substantially improved benefits. Ford's offer value rose by 50% compared to when the targeted, or "stand-up," strikes commenced on September 15, as per Fain. The deal still requires approval from local UAW leaders and ratification by a simple majority of Ford's 57,000 union-represented employees.
Autoworkers return to work as the union approval process begins
While the union's approval and voting process unfolds, Ford autoworkers currently on strike will resume work. UAW Vice President Chuck Browning clarified in the video with Fain that this is a tactical move to secure the best deal achievable. "We're going back to work at Ford to keep the pressure on Stellantis and GM. The last thing they want is for Ford to get back to full capacity while they mess around and lag behind," Browning said.
