Nov. 17 (UPI) — Stellantis UAW workers on Friday ratified a four-year labor contract, according to vote results posted by the union.
The vote was 68.4%-31.6% as of Friday morning. Ford ratification is close behind.
Ford UAW workers are continuing their ratification voting Friday with totals as of Friday morning of 67.1% yes to 32.9% no.
UAW vote totals showed workers at GM voted to ratify the new contract Thursday 54.74%-45.6%. Workers at the biggest GM plants rejected the deal but votes from smaller plants overcame those no votes.
Stellantis workers at the Toledo Jeep plant voted to reject the agreement 54.9%-45.1%, but the approval vote totals were overwhelmingly yes.
As these historic UAW gains are ratified into new four-year labor contracts, the union said the gains for autoworkers are four times greater than in 2019 bargaining and workers will get the highest base wage hikes in 22 years.
The UAW under its newly elected President Shawn Fain took a more aggressive stance and switched its strategy and tactics compared with the UAW’s historic approach.
Fain started the talks by demanding record contracts for UAW workers in the midst of record profits for the Detroit Three automakers.
The UAW aimed high and got much of what they wanted after their six-week strike.
In bargaining, Fain pushed for a 46% wage hike over the four-year contract, but ultimately settled for roughly 25% in addition to the reinstatement of the automatic cost-of-living adjustments the union gave up in concessions to help keep automakers financially viable during the 2008-09 recession.
Complete details of the agreements at each automaker have not been made public, but the UAW won gains in bringing EV battery workers into the union and was able to return thousands of jobs to a Belvidere, Illinois plant that will re-open.
