Ford ‘Careful’ About Manufacturing in United States Post UAW Strike

The Epoch Times ^ | 2/17/24 | By Naveen Athrappully

[CFW]

Ford CEO Jim Farley suggested the company may have to rethink its “manufacturing footprint” in the United States after last year’s conflict with a worker’s union.

Speaking at the Wolfe Research Global Auto Conference in New York on Thursday, Mr. Farley said that Ford always took pride in its relationship with United Auto Workers (UAW), according to the Associated Press. Since the 1970s, the company has not experienced any strikes involving the union. However, this relationship changed last year when Ford’s Louisville factory in Kentucky was shut down by the UAW. As the company seeks to transition to electric vehicles from internal combustion engine ones, “we have to think carefully about our (manufacturing) footprint.” UAW’s six-week strike last year forced Ford to negotiate higher wages for workers. Higher-level employees were able to secure a 33 percent wage hike running through 2028 that pushes their hourly wages to around $42. Ford also agreed to eliminate “divisive” wage tiers and reinstate cost-of-living adjustments. “I want to be clear: We told Ford to pony up, and they did … We won things nobody thought was possible,” UAW president Shawn Fain said at the time. The new arrangement offered more raises to workers than the past 22 years combined, the union stated.

Mr. Farley said that Ford could cut down manufacturing costs this year to offset the cost of the new contract signed with UAW workers. The contracts would also add $900 in costs to a vehicle.

[unclebankster]

Trump: an arrogant man, ivy leage educated, from New York, living in a big city, born into wealth, not very religous in his personal life, not an avid hunter, and who never served in the military; is the best thing since sliced bread for Christians, the middle class, the second amendment, fly over country, our military and vets. Ironic, isn’t it?

************

True statement.👍

[Alberta's Child]

The UAW is one of those moronic old industrial unions that allows its retired members to vote in leadership elections.

The number of UAW retirees surpassed the number of active workers years ago. As a result, the union finds itself in the absurd and untenable position where the leaders have every incentive to screw the current workers to win concessions for the retirees.

If this sounds preposterous, just remember that this is exactly how the U.S. steel industry — where retirees outnumber active workers by something like an 8-to-1 margin — was destroyed.

[roving]

If they go all-electric, a lot of those workers will be out of a job.

[EVO X]

The problem Ford has is they got caught with their pants down. Who the heck is going to buy a ~$70K+ pickup truck at 10% interest? The same goes for the other big 2 American manufactures..

[voicereason]

I spend a lot of time renting cars because of travel. I only rents cars not made by the UAW.

[Jacquerie]

Donald Trump is the echo of our Framers’ ideal, uncorrupted President.

[Glad2bnuts]

There is no future for hydrogen powered transportation or heating usage, or electrical powered by wind and solar. Only Coal can make steel, in fact coal is good enough for China, why not the US? NG, gasoline, diesel, coal, hydro and nuclear. is and should be the basis for a thriving country.

[Robert DeLong]

To early to fully know about hydrogen, in my humble opinion, but we can clearly see that wind & solar are inadequate sources for sure, Coal is plentiful and perhaps can actually make them more friendly to man & their environment

EVs, if cheaper, would be nice alternatives to move about in local trips during certain times of the year, but not for use involving long er distances or big heavy batteries that require too much time to recharge. One would think a gas power car that got you started and through the use of an alternator would keep a vehicle powered until you came to stops. Then the gas engine would need to become activated again until you started moving again, and the small electric motors could again become activated to power you down the road. Something like a hybrid but not like the current configuration of hybrids. But what do I know, completely out of my field for sure. 😋 👍

[Hiddigeigei]

"Unions are like ismalic jihadists: No one enjoys a cordial relationship with either."
Wasn't the union problem the reason Henry Ford imported all those Dearborn Muslims back then?

[matt04]

Agreed. I was in a private-sector union. They only served to protect the worthless employees and enrich the bosses. The union reps only appeared when it was contract negation time then were MIA for about the next 3 years.

I turned down a promotion and found a non-union job because I knew, from experience, is as a supervisor/manager, I had proof of employee misconduct that could result in some official actions, they could get the union to help them and basically say they had no idea they were limited to a 15 minute break, couldn’t steal things, etc. ans as a fist time offense no write-up or action. Without said official documentation, the 2nd time was essentially the 1st time and repeat.

[DPMD]

That’s some history I’m unfamiliar with. If you’re serious, please bring me up to date.

[Hiddigeigei]

"That’s some history I’m unfamiliar with."Do a search on Google or Bing: "Ford Motor Company and its Impact on the Early Arab Americans of Michigan."

[DPMD]

thanks.