The tentative deal between the United Auto Workers union and Ford will take crucial steps toward becoming final this weekend.
The union and the automaker struck a deal on Wednesday after 40 days on strike. General Motors and Stellantis are still at the negotiating table.
Related: What benefits are in the 'historic' UAW tentative agreement with Ford?
The proposed deal would give workers a 25% boost in pay over the life of the contract, plus cost-of-living adjustments and much more.
Union leaders say this is the best wage increase and deal they've had in over 20 years.
Now, Ford workers and union leaders are taking the next steps in the ratification process.
According to the UAW, the agreement is just the first of five steps that will be taking place over the next several days.
UAW President Fain said that the second step is the UAW National Council voting on whether or not to send the tentative agreement (TA) to the membership. Those leaders will come to Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 29, according to Fain.
The third step will happen Sunday night, if the UAW National Council sends the TA to membership. The union will host a Facebook Live on Sunday night to review the TA and put it online for members to review with highlights and other information.
Step four, according to Fain, is hosting regional meetings to walk through the tentative agreement with local UAW leaders, and the final step is holding information meetings and discussing the TA before the general membership holds ratification votes.
While all of this happens, UAW leadership has called on striking Ford workers to go back to work to keep the pressure on GM and Stellantis.
UAW members say they are ready.
"This whole past year has been nothing but successful strikes and winning record contracts for all middle class Americans and this is just another example. This was our time, our moment and we had no choice but to do this," one worker told us.
