by David Shepardson and Joseph White
DETROIT (Reuters) – The United Auto Workers (UAW) closed Ford’s largest plant on Wednesday, halting vehicle production without notice, as strike action hardens in the USA.
The UAW announced that 8,700 workers at Ford’s Kentucky truck plant had gone on strike after the automaker refused to continue negotiations.
This decision comes as the strike movement at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, began four weeks ago.
The Ford plant in Louisville generates an annual turnover of 25 billion dollars (23.5 billion euros), or a sixth of the revenues of the manufacturer’s automobile activity.
According to a Ford official, representatives of the automaker and the UAW were discussing the issue of pensions and union representation at future battery plants when the strike was announced.
UAW President Shawn Fain and other union officials called a meeting and demanded a new offer, the Ford official said, adding that the automaker had been unable to accommodate one. present one.
“You just lost Kentucky Truck,” Shawn Fain said then, according to the Ford official and a union source.
Ford said the move was “completely irresponsible but not surprising given the union leadership’s stated strategy.”
A new round of negotiations is scheduled to open Thursday between the UAW and Stellantis, according to sources.
(Reporting David Shepardson and Shivani Tanna; Camille Raynaud)
Copyright © 2023 Thomson Reuters
I have over 8 years of experience working in the news industry. I have worked as a reporter, editor, and now managing editor at 247 News Agency. I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the news website and overseeing all of the content that is published. I also write a column for the website, covering mostly market news.
