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Production Workers Reject, Skilled Trades Workers Approve Tentative Deal
In a recent development at Ford’s Louisville assembly and Kentucky truck plants, production workers have voted against the tentative labor agreement. In contrast, skilled trades workers have shown their approval, as reported by the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 862 on Monday.
Divergent Votes Highlight Discord
The contract’s ratification faced resistance from 55% of the production workers, indicating a notable divergence in opinions. In contrast, 69% of skilled trades workers, encompassing maintenance and construction employees, backed the proposed agreement. These contrasting results were disclosed in a Facebook post by the UAW Local 862.
Lack of Full Disclosure Raises Questions
While specific figures regarding the overall percentage of votes in favor or the total number of votes cast were not disclosed by the union, the divided stance among the workers raises questions about the future approval of the deal. The UAW and Ford have remained silent in response to requests for comment from Reuters.
Implications for Ford’s Financial Outlook
The rejection by production workers signals potential challenges for the approval of the deal, which, if accepted, is set to impose significant cost increases on Ford. Last month, the automaker withdrew its full-year forecast, citing uncertainty tied to the pending ratification of the agreement with the UAW.
Industry-Wide Impact
Union workers, engaged in a historic coordinated strike against Detroit’s Big Three automakers, are voting on contracts from Stellantis (Chrysler-owner), GM, and Ford. The recent voting pattern at Ford indicates that, of the total votes across the company’s various facilities, 70.7% of workers have expressed approval for the deal, according to a UAW vote tracker. However, some major plants, including the Dearborn Truck plant in Michigan, are yet to cast their votes.
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General Motors Faces Similar Opposition
This development follows a similar trend at General Motors, where union members at the Flint assembly plant in Michigan narrowly voted against the proposed contract with the U.S. automaker last Friday.
In summary, the divided sentiment among Ford workers underscores the complexity and uncertainty surrounding the approval of the labor agreement, with potential ramifications for the financial landscape of the automaker and the industry at large.
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