Ford announced today that it has sealed a deal for a new four-year contract with the United Auto Workers union that covers approximately 41,000 employees.
According to the new labor contract, Ford will add 12,000 hourly jobs over the next four years in its US facilities, bringing home production from overseas operations in Mexico, China and Japan.
Ford will also add production shifts that will account for 5,000 of the 12,000 new jobs at four of its US factories: the Michigan Assembly Plant, Chicago Assembly Plant, Louisville Assembly Plant and Auto Alliance International in Michigan.
“This agreement is proof that, by working together with our UAW partners and local communities, we can significantly create new jobs, invest in our plants and people, and make a very positive impact on the US economy”, said Ford’s president of The Americas, Mark Fields.
The Ford boss assed that “our agreement is fair to our employees and it improves our competitiveness in the US.” Production relocation involves mostly pickup trucks and commercial vehicles, such as the F- and E-Series, but is not restricted to them.
For example, demand for the new Focus is high, but sales have been hampered by the dealers’ limited inventory. Explorer, Escape and Fusion sales have also increased, by 204 (!), 41 and 32 percent respectively, so the added shifts will enable Ford to meet strong demand for its products.
