UAW, Ford Reach Tentative Deal Averting Plant Strike
October 03 2015 - 8:12AM
Dow Jones News
By Jeff Bennett
The United Auto Workers union and Ford Motor Co. reached a
tentative contract agreement late Friday night, averting a strike
set for Sunday at one of the auto maker's pickup truck plants.
Local 249 union members were preparing to walk off the job over
a variety of unresolved issues at the Claycomo, Mo., plant which
produces F-150 pickup trucks and Transit vans. Plants typically
reach their own accords with the auto makers that are separate from
the national contract.
"I think we have reached an agreement that our members will be
proud of, " Local 249 bargaining chief Todd Hillyard said in a
social media posting. "We protected all of our members seniority
rights, improved safety provisions along with many other
things."
Plant operations will continue as normal, Ford said in a
statement. A Sunday shift at the plant had been canceled and
shipments of truck frames had been diverted to the company's
Dearborn, Mich., plant which also builds the F-150.
"Working with our UAW partners, we have resolved the open items
at Kansas City Assembly Plant and have agreed to a tentative local
agreement," Ford said in the statement.
The union's focus now turns back to UAW President Dennis
Williams and his attempts to salvage a new national labor agreement
with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.
Fiat Chrysler union workers overwhelmingly rejected a tentative
contract earlier this week. Mr. Williams is likely to return to the
negotiating table with Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio
Marchionne since he had hoped to use an accord reached at Fiat
Chrysler as a pattern contract with Ford and General Motors Co.
Union members at all three auto makers have been working under
contract extensions since Sept. 14.
The UAW has yet to provide an official statement on the union's
next steps.
Write to Jeff Bennett at jeff.bennett@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 03, 2015 07:57 ET (11:57 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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