OEMs

Ford Makes Seventh Offer to UAW

Written by Ethan Bernard

October 4, 2023

Ford Motor Co. presented its seventh offer to the United Auto Workers (UAW) on Tuesday amid the union’s ongoing strike.

“We want to make sure our workers come out of these negotiations with two things – a record contract and a strong future,” Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO, said in a statement.

Some of the highlights of the offer includes:

  • No job losses due to electric vehicle (EV) battery plants.
  • A 26% pay increase for temporary workers to $21 per hour.
  • Conversion of all temporary employees with at least three months of service to permanent status upon ratification.
  • Wage increases of more than 20% for permanent workers, and immediate double-digit increases upon ratification.
  • No tiers, and all employees can reach the top wage rate.
  • Traditional cost-of-living-allowances (COLA) will give inflation protection.

The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker said it had received two comprehensive counteroffers from the UAW, the last on Sept. 25.

Ford noted that this current offer would put its 57,000 UAW-represnted employees among the top 25% of all US jobs, hourly and salaried.

The UAW did not return a request for comment by time of publication.

Ford announced layoffs in Illinois and Ohio on Monday as a result of the strike, which began on Sept. 15. The work stoppage, which targets specific plants at all three Detroit-area automakers, has widened as no labor agreement has yet been reached.

Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA. in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

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