Posts tagged Ford
UAW president Shawn Fain on labor’s comeback: “This is what happens when workers get power”
February 26, 2024 // Volkswagen worker Shaun Lawler says skepticism of the UAW runs deep in the community. When asked how his family views unions, he replied, "They don't see it as a good opportunity; they see layoffs." What do they call unions? "They call them communist," Lawler said.
UAW loses key local leader known for influence, strategy during negotiations
February 23, 2024 // By contrast, the national union's corruption scandal led to more then a dozen convictions, including two past national UAW presidents and Fiat Chrysler executives. "I was disgusted and disappointed by what some individuals did," said Ricke, who, as local union president, earned a salary of about $175,000, which is tied to the regional leader's wage.
UAW, Ford reach agreement; strike at truck plant in Louisville avoided
February 22, 2024 // Last Friday, the union issued a release that said nearly 9,000 workers at the Kentucky Truck Plant in east Louisville would strike on Feb. 23 if Ford failed to address certain issues. Point of contention included health and safety inside the plant, including minimum "in-plant nurse staffing levels and ergonomic issues," plus the company's attempts to "erode the skilled trades" at the plant.
Strike Looms: Marathon Petroleum Workers in Detroit Vote to Authorize Walkout, Union Reports
February 20, 2024 // There are 273 Teamsters working at the refinery in a variety of roles, the union said, adding that their most recent contract expired last month. "If Marathon won't offer the Teamsters whose labor makes them profitable a fair contract, workers are going to withhold their labor," said Steve Hicks, President of Local 283. The refinery has a crude oil refining capacity of 140,000 barrels per day and processes sweet and heavy sour crude oils into products such as gasoline and distillates.
Ford CEO says company will rethink where it builds vehicles after last year’s autoworkers strike
February 15, 2024 // Ford’s highly profitable factory in Louisville, Kentucky, was the first truck plant that the UAW shut down with a strike. “Our reliance on the UAW turned out to be we were the first truck plant to be shut down,” Farley told the conference. “Really our relationship has changed. It’s been a watershed moment for the company. Does this have business impact? Yes.”
F-150 Production Halted, Ford Temporarily Lays Off 9,700 Workers
February 5, 2024 // According to a report from the Detroit Free Press, Ford stopped production of the 2024 truck between January 25 and January 31, 2024 at its Dearborn Truck Plant. Production of America’s best-selling truck was also stopped at the Kansas City Assembly Plant from January 25 until February 1. The Free Press reports: “Production has resumed after being paused temporarily because of a supplier parts concern,” [Ford spokeswoman Jessica Enoch] said. “We are vigilant about ensuring that the vehicles our customers receive are built with the quality they expect and we are taking appropriate actions to deliver on that commitment.” Enoch said Lightning production was also stopped Jan. 25 through Jan. 31 because ICE production was stopped at Dearborn Truck; the Dearborn Truck paint shop services both the internal combustion and electric trucks. During the shutdown, United Auto Workers union employees working at both facilities were laid off temporarily. In Kansas, 4,500 workers were affected while the figure in Dearborn was around 5,200. However, workers are now back on site and regular shifts have returned at both facilities. Related video
Workers at Alabama Hyundai plant announce union as UAW drives deeper into Southeast
February 2, 2024 // Thirty percent of the workers at the sole Hyundai plant in the U.S., in Alabama, have joined the United Auto Workers (UAW). The announcement marks the third such public union drive at an automaker in the Southeast.
Labor unions, with power and popularity rising, are still trailing in the biggest nationwide battle
January 29, 2024 // But according to the Gallup polling, only one in six Americans live in a household with a union member, and its polling, as well as polling by others, shows that nonunion workers remains divided, about fifty-fifty, on interest in joining a union — Gallup's 2022 polling showed the percentage of nonunion workers who were not interested in membership as high as 58%.
UAW, Fain endorse Biden, say Trump ‘stands against everything we stand for’
January 24, 2024 // The United Auto Workers union's leader endorsed U.S. President Joe Biden's reelection bid on Wednesday with a fiery speech in Washington that was also harshly critical of Republican former President Donald Trump. In a full-throated endorsement of the Democratic incumbent, UAW President Shawn Fain cited Biden's pro-union record and his decision to become the first president to join a union picket line this summer during a successful autoworkers strike for higher pay. "Instead of talking trash about our union, Joe Biden stood with us," Fain said. Fain and Biden previously had sharp differences over electric vehicle policy, and the endorsement could be a strong boost to Biden in Michigan and other manufacturing states.
Opinion: UAW won’t keep their promises, doesn’t hold to Tennessee values
January 22, 2024 // If VW employees were to join the union, most of their dues wouldn't even stay in Tennessee. Dues would go to union leaders living lavish lifestyles that are out of touch with the workers they claim to represent and also to support largely extreme Democratic policies which are out of touch with Tennessee values. Even though Tennessee is a right-to-work state, once unionized, all their workers would be forced to fall under the UAW contract, even if they don't join. While UAW contracts have income floors, they also have ceilings that cap how much workers can earn. Workers can say goodbye to any pay-for-performance structure which benefits employees that produce strong results.