Ford, UAW reach tentative agreement on contract

  • Chicago Tribune
  • Friday, November 6, 2015 3:27pm
  • Business

Ford Motor Co. and the United Auto Workers union have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract.

The bargaining team unanimously voted to send the proposed tentative agreement to local union leaders who make up the UAW National Ford Council, the union announced Friday afternoon.

The council will meet Monday morning to vote on whether to send it to union membership for a final vote. Details of the contract will not be released until then, the UAW said.

The announcement comes as union members near the end of voting on a contract with General Motors that includes an end to the much-maligned two-tier wage system that starts entry level employees at significantly lower wages than longtime workers. Ford is the last of the Big Three carmakers to negotiate with the union on new contracts.

“This agreement is significant for our members in that it creates a clear path for economic advancement for active members and rewards veteran employees for their sacrifices in recent years,” UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles said in a news release. “It is one of the richest agreements in the history of UAW-Ford.”

Said Ford in a statement: “Working with our UAW partners, we have reached a tentative agreement for the next four years for our employees and our business. The agreement, if ratified, will help lead the Ford Motor Company, our employees and our communities into the future.”

Ford employs more than 50,000 workers at 19 U.S. plants.

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