Confirmed: UAW Rejects Ford Contract

The American manufacturer Ford's hopes of getting to the hearts and minds of its UAW workers and convince them of the revisions proposed in their contracts were aimed at making the company more competitive have been put down by the unions, which overwhelmingly rejected the contract: 75 percent of skilled trades and 70 percent of production members said NO.

"The ratification process proves once again that the membership is the highest authority in our union and we are respectful of the final outcome," Ron Gettelfinger, UAW president said in a release.

"While we will not be returning to the bargaining table, [we] 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."

Ford on the other hand expressed its disappointment common ground could not be reached. The carmaker says it will continue to pursue its cost cutting measures and take the necessary steps towards achieving its goal.

"We appreciate the UAW leadership for working with us to reach a tentative agreement on further modifications to our national labor agreement. Ford is disappointed that the additional changes were not ratified," Joe Hinrichs, Ford labor chief said.

"All of us at Ford are absolutely committed to continuing to make progress on our transformation plan, and we will take the necessary steps to be competitive with the best in the business."

"Moving forward, we will work with the UAW to discuss the next steps to ensure Ford remains competitive so we can continue to make product commitments and invest in our manufacturing facilities here in the United States."