At the Ford plant in the Chicago Assembly, 64 percent of workers voted against the interim agreement. (Reuters) – A preliminary agreement between Ford Motor Co and the United Auto Workers union offers a richer payment for Ford`s 41,000 workers than the new contract ratified by General Motors Co. At Ford, “language says in agreement that technology is not the only basis for disciplinary action – meaning it is at least partly used to discipline workers,” Houldieson said. The agreement, reached around 3.20 .m after 44 hours of negotiations, must be ratified by the approximately 60,000 UAW members at Ford. If adopted, it would lead to historic negotiations that would have resulted in agreements to make U.S.-based automakers profitable. The UAW summary listed the total value of economic benefits over the duration of the four-year contract – including wages and bonuses – at $29,500 for the typical production worker and $32,500 for the typical skilled worker. Marick Masters, an economics professor at Wayne State University, said a thorough review of the interim agreement was essential. Entry-level wages will increase from approximately $15.50 per hour to $19.28 per hour until the end of the four-year contract, corresponding to GM`s hourly wage. Although the GM agreement has reduced the time it takes future second-class workers to earn advanced wages from eight years to four years, they will still not receive pension or retirement benefits. And while the agreement outlines a multi-year path for temporary workers to secure stable employment, many workers were concerned about the integrated loopholes – and the fact that all temporary workers who escape this status are simply being replaced by others. The GM agreement did not negat the closures of Lordstown Assembly in Ohio, Warren Powertrain in Michigan or Baltimore Powertrain in Maryland. Local UAW politicians voted on Friday to send the agreement to their more than 55,000 members for ratification. Voting will begin on Monday and the vote will take place on 15 November.

The UAW National Ford Council voted Friday to recommend ratification of a preliminary agreement with Ford Motor Co. after three hours of review and discussion. “It was a breakdown,” said one person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss the case. “It just demonstrates the company`s commitment to working with the union to ensure that this agreement is what it should be for all employees.” Contract negotiators from Ford Motor Co. and UAW have rewrote a passage from their preliminary agreement – while members vote on the deal – that will increase the wages of nearly 10,000 workers to ensure ratification. Bill Dirksen, Vice President of Laboratory Affairs at Ford, said in a statement Friday only that “Ford can confirm the UAW announcement that UAW and Ford have reached a preliminary agreement on a four-year contract.