UAW, Ford Have a 'Historic' Tentative Agreement

'We won things nobody thought possible,' says UAW President Shawn Fain
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 25, 2023 10:18 PM CDT
Updated Oct 26, 2023 12:00 AM CDT
UAW Has Made a 'Historic' Deal With Ford, Tentatively
File - United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, center left, stands for pictures with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, bottom center, after a rally for striking workers at UAW Local 551, on Oct. 7, 2023, in Chicago.   (John J. Kim /Chicago Tribune via AP, File)

After 41 days on strike, United Auto Workers has reached a tentative—and, the union says, "historic"—agreement with Ford. The deal, according to a UAW news release cited by the Detroit News, includes 25% in base wage increases through April 2028, plus cost-of-living adjustments. The top wage will increase more than 30% during that 4.5-year contract period from $32.32/hour to more than $40/hour, while the starting wage will increase 68% to more than $28/hour, and the time needed for new workers to get to the top wage will be reduced from eight years to three years. Over the life of the contract, the lowest-paid workers at Ford will ultimately see an increase of more than 150%, with some getting an 85% bump as soon as the deal is ratified. Upon ratifying the deal, all workers will immediately get an 11% pay bump, and sources tell the Detroit Free Press workers will also get a $5,000 ratification bonus.

Current retirees, workers with pensions, and workers with 401(k) plans will also see improvements under the deal, which also includes—in a first for UAW—a right to strike over plant closures. "What started at three plants at midnight on September 15 has become a national movement. We won things nobody thought possible. Since the strike began, Ford put 50% more on the table than when we walked out," UAW President Shawn Fain said in a video announcing the tentative agreement. Once ratified, added UAW Vice President Chuck Browning, "We're going back to work at Ford to keep the pressure on Stellantis and GM. The last thing they want is for Ford to get back to full capacity while they mess around and lag behind." (More United Auto Workers stories.)

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