UAW reaches agreement with Ford over local Kentucky plant contract By Reuters

© Reuters. United Auto Employees (UAW) union members picket exterior Ford’s Kentucky truck plant after occurring strike in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. October 12, 2023. REUTERS/Luke Sharrett

(Reuters) -The United Auto Employees (UAW) mentioned on Wednesday it had reached an settlement with Ford Motor (NYSE:) Co over a neighborhood contract overlaying employees on the automaker’s Kentucky truck plant, averting a strike.

The union mentioned final week its members on the plant, which has 9,251 workers and builds Ford’s most worthwhile F-series vans amongst different automobiles, would go on strike this week if native contract points weren’t resolved.

The brand new contract addresses points associated to expert trades and well being and security of employees, amongst others.

It’s separate from the agreements the Detroit Three automakers – Ford, Normal Motors (NYSE:) and Stellantis (NYSE:) – signed with the United Auto Employees (UAW) final yr to ship report wage hikes to about 150,000 members.

Along with nationwide contracts, the union additionally negotiates native agreements round plant-specific points at every facility.

Ford confirmed the brand new contract and mentioned it was “happy to have reached a tentative settlement on a brand new labor contract with UAW Native 862 overlaying Kentucky Truck Plant and eight,700 valued UAW-Ford workers.”

The settlement comes on the heels of Ford making an attempt to pivot from its EV shift and ramp up manufacturing of its higher-margin hybrid and gas-powered fashions.

The Kentucky plant generates about $25 billion in annual income, accounting for a couple of sixth of the Detroit automaker’s international automotive income.