By Leftlane Staff
Tuesday, Aug 29th, 2006 @ 1:00 pm

Ford ’s increased pressure on the United Auto Workers for concessions is effectively pitting plant against plant in a scramble to prove which one can produce the best quality cars at the lowest cost, reports the Detroit News. Ford has made it clear that the most efficient and flexible factories have the best chance to survive and win new work. At Ford’s F-150 plants in Dearborn and Kansas City, the union is warning employees they must find ways to cut costs before Ford will sign off on where it will build 2009 model F-150s. But the tactic could cause problems, according Harley Shaiken, a labor expert at the University of California-Berkeley. “That is precisely the kind of thing that could prove counterproductive,” he said. “You’ve got a work force that’s very productive, but also very resistant to whipsawing.” Bruce Belzowski, an analyst at the University of Michigan agrees. “That’s a dangerous game for companies to play,” he said. “They’re playing hardball because they can make the call about which plants they open and which they don’t.”

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