WAYNE, Mich. (WXYZ) — United Auto Workers union members are on day six of a strike against the Big Three automakers. Late Tuesday night, the Canadian auto worker's union Unifor struck a tentative deal with Ford Motor Co.
7 Action News spoke with UAW members who were on strike outside of the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne about the Unifor deal.
“I hope that they didn’t get low-balled because that don’t look good for us,” Ford employee Carmen Moore said.
The Unifor-Ford agreement now awaits the ratification process. No details have been released. But Unifor had demanded better wages, pensions and assistance with the company's transition to manufacturing electric vehicles.
“I hope it’s a good deal, and hopefully that means something good for us,” Ford employee Brendan Fluker said.
7 Action News also spoke with Chris Douglas, a business professor at the University of Michigan-Flint.
“It’s surprising that the Canadian union was able to reach an agreement with Ford but for whatever reason, the UAW was not able to reach an agreement with that same company, as well as General Motors and Chrysler (Stellantis). What that means to me is perhaps the three companies aren’t being entirely unreasonable in the bargaining process,” Douglas said.
He said Canada having universal health care likely does not factor into Unifor and Ford reaching a deal quickly.
"Unless General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are asking its membership to start paying out of pocket for health care — which I don't think is the case — that shouldn't be an issue with bargaining between the three companies and the UAW in the U.S.," he said.
Ford employee Darvin Fletcher said, "If they can reach an agreement, then we shouldn’t be too far off.”
Travetta Rich, another Ford employee, said, "I hope they came up with a good deal and they're not just accepting anything so they won’t go on strike.”
Next, Unifor will work to make deals with GM and Stellantis.
Douglas said if the Canadian deal with Ford is ratified and production continues at Ford’s Canadian plants, then that will help the company remain profitable.
In turn, he said that will likely make it easier for Ford to ride out the UAW strike. Perhaps that puts more pressure on the UAW.
