The United Auto Workers and Ford reached a tentative national labor agreement early Saturday morning around 3:20 a.m. The two parties have not yet released details of the deal, but insider reports claim Ford has agreed to outsource fewer jobs.
“Our bargaining committee came through for our active and retired members,†said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. “Our team is proud of each and every negotiator because they have encouraged Ford to invest in product and people while addressing the economic needs of our active and retired members.â€
“We face enormous challenges – and we also have enormous potential,†said UAW Vice President Bob King, who directs the union’s National Ford Department. “Our goals for this contract were to win new product and investment, to enhance job security and protect seniority – and we made progress in all these areas.â€
The UAW’s recent deal with Chrysler includes a so-called two-tier system where longtime employees who leave non-production jobs will be replaced with new workers who earn $14 an hour instead of $28, according to Automotive News.
Ford group vice president of Human Resources and Labor Affairs, Joe Laymon, said agreement is subject to ratification by UAW members, and “we will not discuss the specifics of the tentative agreement until after it becomes final.”
He said the agreement includes a memorandum of understanding to establish an independent retiree health care trust.
