Despite Ford announcing much of its contract offer it has made to the United Auto Workers (UAW) Union President Shawn Fain went on Facebook Live to update UAW Membership on the current state of The Big Three negotiations.

Fain addressed a number of issues, including a response to Ford’s contract proposal.

On the criticism that the UAW is demanding too much from The Big Three: “I know that our demands are ambitious, but I’ve told the companies repeatedly, I’m not the reason that Members’ expectations are so high.  What’s driving Members’ expectations are the Big Three’s profits.  You cannot make ($21 billion) in profits in half a year and expect Members to take a mediocre contract.  You can’t make a quarter trillion dollars in North American profits over the last decade and expect us to keep aiming low and settling lower.  Our campaign slogan is simple: ‘record profits mean record contracts.’”

On the lack of progress currently being made at the bargaining table: “The Big Three have a simple playbook when it comes to bargaining that can be summed up in three words: delay, delay, delay.  So a month ago, I sat across from each of the Big Three CEOs with your national negotiators beside me, and I delivered our demands.  I told them that if they expected to drag everything out until the final days of bargaining and then try to settle everything all at once, then they were setting themselves up for a Strike.  I’ve told them repeatedly, September Fourteenth is a deadline, not a reference point.”

To Continue Reading This Portion Of This Labor News Story, Go To: President Fain's Big Three Contract Update: "Ford Proposal Insults Our Very Worth" | UAW

Meanwhile, Ford announced it has made a substantial contract offer, which it posted on the company’s website – part of which read:

Ford has exceeded its commitments to add jobs and invest during the last three contracts, most recently creating or retaining 5,600 additional UAW-represented jobs beyond the 8,500 we committed and investing $1.4 billion beyond the $6 billion we committed during the 2019 contract.

After extensive negotiations, Ford has presented a generous offer on the upcoming contract that would provide our hourly employees with 15% guaranteed combined wage increases and lump sums, and improved benefits over the life of the contract.

Wages (including overtime) and lump sum bonuses for Ford’s UAW-represented Hourly Workers would increase from $78,000 on average in 2022 to $92,000 in the first year of the contract.

On top of $92,000 in wages and bonuses, Workers would receive health care coverage worth $17,500 and other benefits worth an additional $20,500 in the first year.

Health care for permanent UAW-represented Hourly Employees would continue to rank in the top 1% of all employer-sponsored medical plans for lowest employee cost sharing.

To Continue Reading This Portion Of This Labor News Report, Go To: Ford | Ford Makes Substantial UAW Contract Offer: Significant Pay Increases, Tiers Eliminated, 25% Faster Growth to Top Wage