Auto Unions Vote on Labor Agreements

United Auto Workers members at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis have cast votes on pending labor agreements.

UAW workers at Ford's Louisville assembly and Kentucky truck plants voted to reject the proposed contract, while skilled trades workers approved it, according to a post by the union's local unit on Facebook.

UAW Local 862 union reported 55% of production workers voted against approving while 69% of the skilled trades workers voted for it.

According to a UAW vote tracker, even with those percentages at UAW Local 862, 70.7% of workers at Ford's facilities have voted in favor of the deal.

Workers at some of the company's major plants, including the Dearborn Truck plant in Michigan, are yet to vote, reported Reuters.

UAW union members at General Motors’ Flint assembly plant in Michigan also voted on GM's pending contract, narrowly voted against it, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile in Canada, union members at Stellantis voted to ratify a contract with the automaker, the Unifor union said.

Members ratified the collective agreement covering the Windsor Assembly Plant, Brampton Assembly Plant and Etobicoke Casting Plant, along with agreements covering Unifor members working in the office, clerical and engineering unit, fire and security unit and PDC units in Mississauga and Red Deer, the union said.

“Unifor members at Stellantis will receive the same significant wage increases, pension improvements and electric vehicle (EV) transition income security measures as Unifor members at Ford and General Motors,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne in a press release. “This contract also confirms investment and product commitments for Windsor, Brampton and Etobicoke, including the retooling of Brampton Assembly to build future EVs.”

Approximately 8,200 Unifor members are covered by the three-year collective agreements, Unifor said.

“I am proud of our members for their support and solidarity over the course of these negotiations, including their brief but necessary strike action that helped make this historic agreement possible,” Payne added.

The Unifor agreements with Stellantis mirror those agreed to earlier by Ford and followed by General Motors. Workers at top rate will see a nearly 20% increase in base hourly wages over the three-year contract, with a 25% increase for skilled trades workers, and cost-of-living adjustments starting in December 2024. The new master agreement also provides special provisions for the EV transition, including improved income security safeguards, to help Unifor members during the EV retooling phase, Unifor reported.

Next September, negotiations will start for 1,500 Unifor GM members at a plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.

Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today