United Auto Workers union members at Stellantis and Ford have now joined General Motors workers in ratifying the labor agreement between the union and the Big Three automakers this week. The vote marks the end of the labor dispute between the two parties that resulted in a six-week-long strike earlier this year.
If we’re being pedantic about it, not every single Stellantis and Ford plant worker has voted yet. However, the split of yes versus no votes so far – 68 to 32 at both companies – is enough to guarantee it’ll succeed since a simple majority is needed for ratification.
At some plants, the contact margin of victory was even higher. Ford Dearborn Truck Plant and the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center – both in Michigan – are seeing 78 percent of workers vote in favor of the deal. Those results put the contract up by over 12,000 votes, according to Automotive News.
At the same time, Stellantis’ deal was ahead by over 9,600 votes on Friday as results showed over 70 percent of workers at the automaker’s two Detroit assembly plants are supporting it. Only a couple of shops have rejected the contract: the two Mopar parts depots at the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio that are slated to close. It’s an understandable move, I suppose.
If you are aware of what numbers are, then you probably realized that Stellantis and Ford’s deals have gotten much broader support from UAW workers than General Motors, which passed 55 percent to 45 percent. We reported yesterday that the GM agreement was opposed by the majority of workers at seven of its 11 U.S. assembly plants.
The three deals are rather similar, AutoNews says:
All three deals include 25 percent pay raises through April 2028. Most workers get an 11 percent raise and $5,000 bonus upon ratification. The contracts also restore cost-of-living adjustments that, combined with the raises, are expected to ultimately boost worker pay more than 30 percent.
The deals also cut the time it takes to make top wages to three years from eight, eliminate lower tiers of pay for some workers, increase vacation time and boost retirement contributions.
UAW leaders have said there is more value in each year of the agreement than in the entirety of the last four-year contract signed in 2019. As part of the deals, the union also negotiated some back pay for striking members.
Ford was the first of the three automakers to reach a tentative agreement with the UAW on October 25. It was followed by Stellantis on October 28 and GM on October 30.