Home » US business news • US Employment News » Ford Executive Chair pleads to end the UAW strike
Ford Executive Chair pleads to end the UAW strike
https://www.whatjobs.com/news/usa/us-employment-news/ford-executive-chair-pleads-to-end-the-uaw-strike
By Nithya Bose in US business news, posted October 17, 2023
Ford Motor's Executive Chair, Bill Ford, has urged the United Auto Workers to resolve the ongoing strike swiftly.
He emphasized that the future of both the company and the American automotive industry is at stake.
Bill Ford, who has been involved in UAW negotiations since 1982, made this plea in light of the ongoing contract disputes.
Read More: Ford Can’t Improve Its Contract Offer To UAW As It’s “At The Limit”
This marked a rare intervention from the great-grandson of the company's founder, Henry Ford.
“We are at a crossroads,” Mr Ford said during a press conference at the firm’s massive Rouge Complex in metro Detroit.
“Choosing the right path is not just about Ford’s future and our ability to compete.
“This is about the future of the American automobile industry.”
“The UAW’s leaders have called us the enemy in these negotiations.
Read More: UAW Launches Strike At Ford’s Largest Plant In Kentucky
“But I will never consider our employees as enemies. This should not be Ford versus the UAW.
“It should be Ford and the UAW vs. Toyota and Honda, Tesla, and all the Chinese companies that want to enter our home.”
UAW President Shawn Fain said: “Bill Ford knows exactly how to settle this strike.
“Instead of threatening to close the Rouge, he should call up [Ford CEO] Jim Farley, tell him to stop playing games and get a deal done, or we’ll close the Rouge for him.
“It’s not the UAW and Ford against foreign automakers.
“It’s autoworkers everywhere against corporate greed.
Looking to boost your online brand? Create your FREE business profile at WhatBiz? here.
“If Ford wants to be the all-American auto company, they can pay all-American wages and benefits.
“Workers at Tesla, Toyota, Honda, and others are not the enemy — they’re the UAW members of the future.”
The ongoing strike is affecting over 19,000 of Ford's 57,000 UAW members.
Last week, Ford said it is reaching the limits of what it can offer in economic concessions.
Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career
The company's latest proposal included substantial wage increases, health benefits retention, and other incentives.
The UAW has progressively escalated the strikes as a response to the inability to secure even tentative agreements by the September 14th deadline.
The union recently shifted to a phase of unannounced work stoppages.
UAW President Shawn Fain said the decision to end the strike ultimately rests with the members, not UAW leadership.
Follow us on YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
