UAW And Ford Reach Tentative Contract Agreement

Ford and the United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union have reached a tentative agreement six weeks after the union called for walkouts at each of the Big Three Detroit automakers (GM, Ford, and Stellantis). The new agreement includes a 25-percent wage increase over the next four years, as well as several other major wins for UAW members. The union continues to strike at GM and Stellantis as negotiations continue with both automakers.

UAW President Shawn Fain addresses union members in a speech last month

“We won things nobody thought possible,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Since the strike began, Ford put 50 percent more on the table than when we walked out. This agreement sets us on a new path to make things right at Ford, at the Big Three, and across the auto industry.”

“Between wage increases, COLA [Cost of Living Allowance], annual bonuses to retirees, and other economic gains, there is more value for our members in each individual year of this agreement than the entirety of the 2019 agreement,” said UAW Vice President Chuck Browning. “This deal puts more money on the table than the 2019 agreement four times over.”

In addition to a 25-percent increase in base wages, the new tentative agreement also includes a cumulative raise to the top wage by more than 30 percent to over $40 per hour, a 68-percent starting wage increase to more than $28 per hour, deletion of the wage tiers, the right to strike over plant closures, and more.

With the tentative agreement with Ford now reached, the UAW National Ford Council will vote on whether to send the agreement to membership, after which the agreement will be publicly reviewed, regional meetings will be held to walk through the agreement with local leaders, and finally, a ratification vote will be held among the membership.

“We are focused on restarting Kentucky Truck Plant, Michigan Assembly Plant and Chicago Assembly Plant, calling 20,000 Ford employees back to work and shipping our full lineup to our customers again,” Ford said following announcement of the new tentative agreement.

Meanwhile, the UAW continues its strike at various GM and Stellantis facilities. GM estimates that the strike has cost the company $800 million so far.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

Jonathan Lopez

Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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  • $28/hr starting for unskilled labor plus the rest of the package (benefits, pension, PTO) it's more like $50/hr. That is pretty crazy.

  • Not only will cars get more expensive, the parts needed to repair those vehicles will get more expensive as well. That will lead to an increase in everyone's car insurance as cars get more expensive to fix or replace. But, the UAW members will still be laughing all the way to the bank...until robots replace them.

  • Expect the GM and Stellantis deals to be very similar. All 3 had best move production out of the US, FAST. Because prices will have to rise to the point that folks will just go with non-domestic brands, for less.

  • Some of the most unintelligent comments I’ve seen in posts . You think moving plants out of us will cause prices to flatline or decrease , lol , laughable at best . Thinking replacement parts will only escalate because of this contract , lol, too funny . Did anybody here actually go to university and get a degree in economics , lol, or did people just major in armchair quarterback 101 , just saying . Yeah because the economy won’t tank worse than it is now , or maybe China will cal in its debt that’s owed to them .

      • Thomas.....it's called facts and reality, subjects they no longer teach in the Marxist institutions of lower learning where the only thing you do learn to is hate the country and expect the actual working taxpayer (UAW members) to pay your outrageous student loan bills.

  • I need a serious answer... Why are you guys so against workers getting paid? They literally are the backbone of the economy. You guys have more vitriol for your every day man than you do these CEOs with overinflated salaries.

  • The key word here is "tentative" agreement with Ford. I believe it's just a ploy to get the other two to fall in line, before the vote is finalized with Ford. Nothing is etched in stone yet.
    The idea that this will raise car prices is correct. Except it won't be as noticeable as you might think. Prices of vehicles have skyrocketed over the past five years. This is due to corporate greed plain and simple.
    However, just because a corporation makes more money does NOT mean that they have to raise employee salaries. Fain is just poking the bear as much as possible, until he finally runs away or gets bit.

  • I'm all for the better pay and benefits for the working man and woman. But I really hope this get reflected on the final quality the product they represent. Lately has been nothing but recalls.

  • If you think a worker making a living wage is going to raise the price of a car, why are you paying 45,000 and up for a car made in Mexico where the wage is $3.50 per hour?