Ford workers at three plants reject concessions

Posted on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 2:53 PM EDT.

Ford Motor Co. hourly employees at three factories rejected union contract concessions granted to other U.S. automakers as the United Auto Workers moves toward a Nov. 1 deadline to finish the balloting, Bloomberg reported.

The results mean that workers at 11 factories representing 16,300 UAW members have turned down the deal, compared with votes to accept the givebacks at 4 plants with 6,100 hourly employees, the news service said. Ford has 41,000 workers represented by the UAW, the story said.

Ford, the only major U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy, is seeking concessions similar to those secured this year by General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, Bloomberg noted. The contract changes, which won UAW local leaders’ support on Oct. 13, include a six- year ban on strikes over wages and benefits and freezing wages of new hires until 2015, the article said.

Voting began at the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker’s plants on Oct. 22, the report said. Most union locals aren’t releasing details of the balloting, the story said. (Bloomberg)

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