Production workers at Kentucky Ford vote against UAW labor deal

Production workers from two plants in Louisville, Ky., voted against the agreement that ended a weeks-long strike, according to a Facebook post by a local United Auto Workers union group. The plants employ over 12,000 workers. In the same union group, “skilled trades” workers voted for the agreement. A narrow majority of workers at a third Ford plant in Louisville did approve the deal, according to a report by AutomotiveNews.com. The deal was also narrowly voted down last week by workers at a General Motors plant in Flint, Mich. Most UAW workers nationwide must ratify the agreement for it to take effect.

What was in the agreement? Workers would have their wages raised by thirty percent and would enjoy better retirement benefits and longer paid leave. The deal with top U.S. automakers—Ford, GM, and Stellantis—was reached only after a six-week strike.

Dig deeper: Read Caleb Bailey’s report in WORLD Magazine about the effects of a mill’s closure in a historic North Carolina community.