UAW members vote down Ford contract modifications

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union released the following statement on November 2 regarding efforts to ratify modifications to the union’s master agreement with Ford Motor Company. The statement is attributable to United Auto Workers (UAW) president Ron Gettelfinger and vice president Bob King:

“The ratification process for the October 2009 modifications to the 2007 UAW-Ford master agreement have been completed. Seventy percent of the membership in production and 75 percent in skilled trades voted to reject the agreement. Our membership has spoken, and on behalf of the International Executive Board and the National Negotiating Committee, we appreciate the participation of our Ford members who took the time to debate the modifications and cast their vote. The ratification process proves once again that the membership is the highest authority in our union and we are respectful of the final outcome.

“We recognize that the modifications negotiated with Ford in February 2009 and ratified by our membership were critical in helping our UAW Chrysler and General Motors negotiators shape the agreements at those companies prior to them filing for bankruptcy. UAW Ford members can be proud of the leadership role they played at that time in protecting our members at Chrysler and GM. Our UAW Ford members can also be proud of their contributions that have positioned Ford to be a strong competitor in a tough market. The positive quarterly results released by Ford this morning are further evidence of the contributions that Ford workers have made.

“The additional modifications that were recently negotiated contained product commitments which insured long-term job security for Ford workers. While we will not be returning to the bargaining table, our International Executive Board, staff, local union leadership and membership will continue to work with Ford on a daily basis in an effort to keep new products coming into our plants. We will also continue to work with Ford to insure they maintain the highest ratings in quality and productivity and insure that they remain competitive.”