Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: Next UAW president to be Ford lead negotiator King]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/14/report-next-uaw-president-to-be-ford-lead-negotiator-king/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/14/report-next-uaw-president-to-be-ford-lead-negotiator-king/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/14/report-next-uaw-president-to-be-ford-lead-negotiator-king/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Ron Gettelfinger, the United Auto Workers' (UAW) president during the recent tumult, is moving on from his post, and has thrown his support behind Bob King. King is currently a vice president in the union and manages the relationship with Ford.

While the outlook is positive for King's nomination, he's going to have some reconciliation to do. In the last go-round with Ford, King asked his membership to agree to concessions that took strikes off the table, which the UAW's rank and file promptly denied. Despite the contention, King has been thought of as Ron Gettelfinger's replacement for some time, and the union hopes King will be a tougher customer in the throes of negotiation.

[Source: Wall Street Journal - Sub. Req.]

REPORT: Next UAW president to be Ford lead negotiator King originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bob kingbob king uawBobKingBobKingUawRon GettelfingerRon GettlefingerRonGettelfingerRonGettlefingeruawUAW contractuaw forduaw presidentuaw president gettelfingerUawContractUawFordUawPresidentUawPresidentGettelfingerMon, 14 Dec 2009 08:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19277169/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/12/14/report-next-uaw-president-to-be-ford-lead-negotiator-king/19277169/article-detail.xml 19277169 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/bob_king_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/bob_king.jpg <![CDATA[REPORT: Three Ford plants vote down new contract with UAW]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/needs-image-three-ford-plants-vote-down-new-contract-with-uaw/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/needs-image-three-ford-plants-vote-down-new-contract-with-uaw/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/needs-image-three-ford-plants-vote-down-new-contract-with-uaw/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Pattern bargaining is how things tend to be done in Detroit, a strategy which ensures that one automaker doesn't tend to get a plum deal at the expense of the other car builders in town. General Motors and Chrysler negotiated pretty hard with the United Auto Workers as part of the bailouts, and Ford's now in the process of securing new agreements with its labor force. While the Blue Oval didn't need government money to stay afloat (well, aside from those low interest technology loans, anyway), it wants parity with its rivals workforce deals.

Several Ford plants have approved the new deal, in which Dearborn has asked for the same concessions that its rivals have already secured. Most recently, however, three Ford facilities have voted down the plan to hold firm entry-level pay and benefits, limits on the union's right to strike over wages and benefits, and consolidates skilled trades. Those opposed to Ford's new agreement argue that the true spirit of pattern agreements would lift Chrysler and GM up to where Ford's current agreements are. Kansas City's F-150 plant slapped down the proposed contract by 92%, but Ford will await the final tally before conceding defeat - or celebrating successful negotiations. Contentious labor dealings are certainly not something Ford wants to deal with at this precarious moment. Even while business has been trending up lately, there's still a long way to go, and if labor puts a skip in the get along, it could be a nail in the coffin of a successful recovery.

[Source: Automotive News - sub req. | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

REPORT: Three Ford plants vote down new contract with UAW originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fordford uawford uaw rejectionFordUawFordUawRejectionuawUAW contractuaw fordUAW Ford contractUAW Ford negotiationsuaw rejectionUawContractUawFordUawFordContractUawFordNegotiationsUawRejectionTue, 27 Oct 2009 11:39:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19210724/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/10/27/needs-image-three-ford-plants-vote-down-new-contract-with-uaw/19210724/article-detail.xml 19210724 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/uaw-ford-jackets-job-fair-getty-630_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/uaw-ford-jackets-job-fair-getty-630.jpg <![CDATA[Quick and painless: Ford-UAW contract ratified by rank-and-file]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/14/quick-and-painless-ford-uaw-contract-ratified-by-rank-and-file/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/14/quick-and-painless-ford-uaw-contract-ratified-by-rank-and-file/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/14/quick-and-painless-ford-uaw-contract-ratified-by-rank-and-file/#commentsFiled under: ,

UPDATE: Automotive News (sub. req'd) reports that the Ford-UAW labor contract passed by a margin of nearly 4-to-1, compared to a 2-to-1 margin for GM's contract and only 56% voting in favor of Chrysler's contract.

Ford has just announced that its union-represented employees have ratified the new four-year labor contract that was reached back on Nov. 3 with the UAW. Unlike new labor contracts with General Motors and Chrysler that didn't attract overwhelming support from the UAW's rank-and-file membership, the Ford contract appears to have passed the popular vote with ease. The contract includes the increasingly popular VEBA account to take over for retiree health benefits, though Ford is contributing only 40% of the cash that will fund the account, compared to 54% for GM and 59% for Chrysler. Also like the previous two contracts, a new two-tier wage system will be employed, though only until 20% of Ford's UAW work force occupies the lower wage tier. Finally, Ford will take the money it saved on the VEBA account and reinvest it back into various manufacturing facilities to make them more flexible. Despite that, both the Wayne Stamping and Assembly Plant and the Ohio Assembly Plant are being shuttered in addition to those already announced, while the automaker plans to make new product commitments to its remaining plants in the near future.

We're not sure whether UAW workers for Ford accepted the contract so readily because of its more favorable terms or the apparent futility in opposing the UAW leadership on things like labor contracts. There was a considerable amount of rank-and-file opposition to Chrysler's new labor contract, but at the end of the day it too won the popular vote thanks to the support of union leaders.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Quick and painless: Ford-UAW contract ratified by rank-and-file

Quick and painless: Ford-UAW contract ratified by rank-and-file originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Ford contract ratifiedFord UAWFord UAW contract ratifiedFord unionFordContractRatifiedFordUawFordUawContractRatifiedFordUnionUAW FordUawFordunion ratifies ford contractUnionRatifiesFordContractWed, 14 Nov 2007 12:05:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1039888/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/11/14/quick-and-painless-ford-uaw-contract-ratified-by-rank-and-file/1039888/article-detail.xml 1039888 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/11/ford_logo_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/11/ford_logo.jpg <![CDATA[BREAKING: UAW and Ford reach tentative agreement]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/03/breaking-uaw-and-ford-reach-tentative-agreement/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/03/breaking-uaw-and-ford-reach-tentative-agreement/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/03/breaking-uaw-and-ford-reach-tentative-agreement/#commentsFiled under: , ,

You know what they say: third time's a charm. After the United Auto Workers union was forced to strike against both General Motors and Chrysler LLC., it somehow found a way to come to terms with Ford Motor Co. after two marathon days of negotiations this past week. Ford's press release contains no details about the tentative four-year contract itself, except to say that it applies to all 54,000 UAW workers who have their checks signed by Ford.

The contract will remain tentative until those 54,000 rank and file workers vote on it. All it needs is a majority vote from Ford's hourly workforce, but as we learned with the UAW-Chrysler contract that was almost defeated in a popular vote, that's easier said than done. When the details of this contract emerge, it will become more apparent whether it favors the union or the automaker, and thus whether or not the average worker will be likely vote for it.

Check out the official statement from Ford after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading BREAKING: UAW and Ford reach tentative agreement

BREAKING: UAW and Ford reach tentative agreement originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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