The plants who voted against so far are Flat Rock (1,265 to 485), Kansas City (92 percent against) and local units in Livonia, Sterling Heights and Canton. With other five plants saying yes last week, the decisive vote will be given by the remaining Ford facilities later in the week.
The new agreement, which will cover over 41,000 UAW-represented employees in the United States, was not detailed, but it reportedly calls for banned strikes over wages or benefits, freezed entry-level wages and changed work rules, requiring some skilled-trade employees to perform more than one job. It is set to be in effect until 2011.
"For Ford, they view the contract as key to competing effectively," Harley Shaiken, University of California at Berkeley labor law professor was quoted as saying by Autonews. "For the UAW, they view the contract as critical to locking in future jobs."
"But you've got a lot of apprehensive and angry members out there because of a dismal economy and an industry that has been on a roller coaster. That combination is proving volatile in these votes."
And the outlook isn't good for Ford. With several other concessions made to the carmaker earlier this year, workers are getting ready for a tough fight.
"I supported it," UAW Local 182 President Steve Zimmerla, told the source. "I think it was the right thing to do for our future. But these are difficult times in the industry and the February concessions are still on everyone's mind."
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