UAW strike update: Union details Ford's tentative agreement
DETROIT (FOX 2) - UAW leadership detailed Ford's tentative deal on Sunday before it heads to union members for a vote.
"I've never seen anything like the agreement we're here to present you tonight," UAW Vice President Chuck Browning said during the update.
Browning and union President Shawn Fain focused on highlights of the 865-page tentative agreement, including wage hikes and plant investments.
"This deal puts more money on the table than the 2019 agreement, four times over, so when we say historic, we mean it," Fain said.
The tentative deal includes 25% wage increases, including 11% immediately upon ratification, and a big bump in starting wages, up to $30.35 from $18.04. Through the life of the contract, top wages increase 33%.
Wage tiers are eliminated under the agreement, and the time to get to max wages is reduced to three years.
The deal also includes $5,000 ratification bonuses and annual bonuses for retirees.
Beyond money for union members, the agreement features $8.1 billion in plant investments. These investments include both internal combustion vehicles and electric vehicles.
Currently under construction, the Marshall Battery Plant will one day employ union members under the provisions of its Master Agreement. There are also plans for union workers at Dearborn Truck and the Rouge factory to transfer to operations at the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center once it opens.
Now, meetings will be held with union members. During these meetings, members can ask questions about the contract before they vote on it. The ratification process could take several weeks.