Louisville Ford Workers Reject Labor Deal, Indicating Possible Continuation Of UAW Strikes 

Despite the United Auto Workers (UAW) union securing a tentative labor deal with Ford Motor Company in late October, there seems to be a division regarding the contract’s ratification, as indicated in an overnight vote by Ford employees in Louisville, Kentucky. 

According to local media WHAS11, Ford workers at the truck plant and assembly plant in Louisville, represented by the UAW Local 862 union, voted against the new labor contract. About 2,279 plant workers voted “yes,” and 2,812 voted “no” to ratify the new contract.

The vote was also revealed in a Facebook post: About 55% of the production workers voted against the new four-year contract, while 69% of skilled trade workers voted for it. 

In late October, Ford reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year labor contract with UAW. The deal included a roughly 25% pay increase over four years, cost-of-living wage adjustments, pensions and job security increases, and even the right to strike over plant closures. 

Local 862 boss Todd Dunn told the local media outlet that workers in Louisville have had their say by expressing discontent over the new contract. He said they must now wait for the rest of the union to cast their decision. 

“It’s an overall majority. It’s not a 50% plus 1, yes, it passed you’re good to go. So they take in all the numbers of everyone who voted across the country and do that population,” Dunn said.

At the end of last week, UAW workers at General Motors’ Flint, Michigan plant rejected the tentative contract agreement. About 53% of UAW Local 598 production workers voted against the deal, while 65% of skilled workers voted “yes.” Overall, 52% voted against the proposal.

Also, workers at a Flint engine plant voted against the deal, and four other units were in favor, according to UAW Local 659. 

Meanwhile, UAW Local 900 workers at Ford’s Michigan assembly plant voted 82% in favor of the deal. 

The tentative labor deal that ended the largest strike ever against the Big Three automakers might not be over if UAW members can’t ratify the new four-year labor contract.