Ford UAW contract ratification gains momentum
* GM workers have already ratified their contractDETROIT, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers
leadership pushing for ratification of a new four-year labor
contract with Ford Motor Co made fresh gains on Saturday
with nearly half of the worker vote counted, a union online
update showed.The running tally as of Saturday morning showed 56 percent
of workers had cast votes in favor of the new contract which
would give most workers a signing bonus of $6,000, and at least
$16,000 in bonuses over the life of the pact.That is up from 54 percent in approval on Friday night and
51 percent in favor on Friday morning.There are about 41,000 unionized Ford workers. The vote
continues at Ford’s U.S. plants through Tuesday.As of Saturday morning with 44 percent of the expected
overall vote counted, there were 8,577 “yes” votes and 6,710
“no” votes, according to posting by the United Auto Workers
Ford Department.General Motors Co’s 48,500 union workers, who have
approved their contract already, get $11,500 at a minimum in
bonuses, including a $5,000 signing bonus.At Chrysler Group LLC , the weakest of the Detroit
Three automakers, guaranteed bonus payout is $5,750, including
a signing bonus of $1,750.Chrysler’s 26,000 unionized workers will vote over the next
two weeks on a tentative contract agreement reached by
negotiators on Wednesday.Veteran Ford auto plant workers make $28.12 per hour, and
will see no increase in base pay. They have not received a base
pay raise since 2003. Skilled trades workers make several
dollars per hour more.Wages for new hires that currently are about $15.50 per
hour at Ford would rise to $19.28 per hour over the life of the
contract.
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