Autoworkers reach tentative deal with Ford; still striking GM, Stellantis

Ford and the United Auto Workers union said Wednesday night that negotiators had reached a tentative contract deal as the UAW’s strike enters its sixth week. The agreement includes a 25 percent wage increase for workers across 4 ½ years while raising the highest wages by 30 percent and starting wages by 68 percent, the UAW said. Ford agreed to reinstate cost-of-living bonuses and improve retirement benefits for members with pensions and 401(k) plans. Workers also retained job security and the right to strike over plant closures.

Does this mean the strike is over? UAW Vice President Chuck Browning confirmed that Ford workers will return to work before the proposal is finalized to “keep the pressure on Stellantis and GM.” The UAW Ford Council is scheduled to review and vote on whether to approve the contract on Sunday, Oct. 29. If approved, UAW President Shawn Fain said leaders would hold regional meetings to discuss the proposal with workers who would decide whether to ratify the agreement.  

Dig deeper: Listen to Nick Eicher and David Bahnsen discuss the strike’s origins on The World and Everything in It podcast.