| Last Saturday, Ford Motor Co. reached a | | | | soon as the contract is signed they turn around |
| tentative deal with the United Auto Workers | | | | and announce major layoffs." |
| Union. Unlike the deals the union reached with | | | | If most of the hourly workers included in the |
| General Motors and Chrysler LLC, the UAW did | | | | 54,000 UAW represented Ford workers will |
| not launch a strike to get their demands from | | | | approve the contract, it will mark the end of the |
| America's second largest automaker. | | | | four months negotiations and the historic third |
| Approving the deal may not be easy to Ford | | | | contract of Ford. However, the new contract will |
| employees after seeing the layoffs and cutbacks | | | | lower down the labor cost and will change how |
| for their GM and Chrysler counterparts. | | | | retiree benefits are to be handled. |
| "If it's a similar agreement negotiated at GM and | | | | The new contract between Ford and the UAW |
| Chrysler, then it's terrible for the workers and the | | | | was reached last Saturday around 3:20 am. |
| future," said Gary Walkowicz, a worker and | | | | Before tentative agreements were reached by |
| former local union official at a truck plant in | | | | Chrysler and GM, the UAW held short strikes |
| Dearborn, where Ford's headquarters is located. | | | | against the automakers but no strike threats |
| Recently, Chrysler LLC and GM announced that | | | | were made to Ford. |
| they would eradicate shifts at assembly plants | | | | According to one source familiar with the |
| and lay off workers. Last month, GM confirmed | | | | negotiations, Ford agreed not to continue their |
| that the automaker would cut shifts at three | | | | plans of closing some of its U.S. plants and make |
| Michigan plants where some of its cars and car | | | | some major investments to continue those plant's |
| parts (like Volvo headlight lens) are made that | | | | operations. For Ford's advantage, the deal allows |
| affects almost 1,700 jobs. Last week, Chrysler | | | | the automaker to pay new hires with lower |
| LLC made the same announcement of cutting | | | | wages, same as that of GM and Chrysler. Ford is |
| 8,000 - 10,000 hourly jobs. | | | | also required to fund the health care benefits of |
| Both the GM and Chrysler deals guaranteed new | | | | the retirees with $22 billion via a union-controlled |
| jobs and investments in its American plants but | | | | trust. |
| lacked pledges on the staffing aspect and allowing | | | | "Though we will not discuss the specifics of the |
| the automakers to adjust the staff to meet their | | | | tentative agreement until after it becomes final, |
| vehicle demands. With this scenario, workers at | | | | we believe it is fair to our employees and |
| Ford are already apprehensive that Ford will make | | | | retirees, and paves the way for Ford to increase |
| new job protection vows. | | | | its competitiveness in the United States," Joe |
| "I think there is a certain amount of skepticism," | | | | Laymon, Ford's group vice president for human |
| he said, "The other contracts had this supposed | | | | resources and labor affairs, said in a statement. |
| job security, which of course wasn't there, and as | | | | |