United Auto Workers Union Officially Ratifies Contract With Ford Motors

The United Auto Workers union has officially ratified its four-year contract with the Ford Motor Company.Louisville’s local 862 UAW helped push for ratification after 53 percent of union workers at Louisville's two plants favored the new contract. Voting ended Tuesday night on the contract, which includes over $1 billion of investments at the two Louisville facilities.“We didn’t tell people how to vote,” said Todd Dunn, president of UAW 862. “We wanted to make sure we answered every question they had, whether it be on the floor giving explanations or at the explanation meeting. That was our main goal was to answer the questions, dispel the rumors and mistruths, because there were a lot out on the floor," he said.Dunn said rumors about the contract's details led many union members to be concerned.“It was just rumors, rumors where somebody says one thing and it grows to another and the next thing you know its out on the floor it’s on Facebook and it gets out of whack,” said Dunn.Many union members were still not pleased with the contract. Several concessions that workers made when Ford decided to remain independent from a federal bailout were left out like overtime pay and additional holidays, but it does include signing bonuses and inflation payments.