General Motors workers in the US are returning to work today after the end of a six-week long strike. Last week UAW members at GM voted in favour of a new negotiated contract.
Attention now turns to Ford and after Ford, Fiat-Chrysler. UAW President Gary Jones has announced today that the union will proceed with bargaining at Ford. The deal with GM is expected to form a template for the UAW’s other Big 3 negotiations.
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The ratified GM-UAW contract includes an economic package of an USD11,000 per member signing bonus, performance bonuses, two 3% annual raises and two 4% lump sum payments.
“Now that the General Motors strike has ended and the agreement has been ratified, we will proceed to Ford working with UAW Vice President Rory Gamble, Director of the UAW Ford Department and their staff,” Jones said in a statement.
“We can confirm the UAW today notified Ford it plans to negotiate with us next,” Ford said in a statement. “As America’s No. 1 producer of vehicles and largest employer of UAW-represented autoworkers, we look forward to reaching a fair agreement that helps Ford enhance its competitiveness and preserve and protect good-paying manufacturing jobs.”
GM workers voted 57.2% in favour of the proposed new contract, passing it with a vote of 23,389 to 17,501, the union said in a statement.
