The United Auto Workers produced what may be the final counteroffer before a strike hits Ford in the labor battle.
The union delivered the proposal Wednesday, a week after Ford presented a 9% pay raise. The carmaker said it will review the union’s offer and continue negotiations this week.
The other two automakers involved in the contract negotiations, General Motors and Chrysler’s parent company, Stellantis, have yet to deliver their offers to the union. GM is expected to deliver a proposal by Thursday, with Stellantis’ offer scheduled to come through by the end of the week.
The UAW’s proposal comes one week before the union’s strike deadline of Sept. 14. If a deal is not reached, over 140,000 unionized workers from the three automakers will be on the picket lines.
The talks have been contentious, with the automakers refusing to meet the massive demands of the UAW and its president, Shawn Fain.
The union wants an immediate 20% wage hike and an annual raise of 5% for four years. The union also seeks defined-benefit pension plans for all members, a strict 32-hour workweek and all temporary workers being made permanent.
The carmakers have remained adamant that the offers by the union are unrealistic, making it difficult to remain competitive.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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