Trouble for future 2017 production?

[Chipster]

FYI: http://www.autonews.com/article/20161027/OEM01/161029845/-1

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Interesting. The union seems to think it will resolve "peacefully".

[junehhan]

If they do not want the jobs they have, Mexico would be happy to have them. Something they are not seeing that Ford saw many months ago is that we will be entering a recession and that means the auto industry will get hit hard. How can they expect a manufacturer to increase production knowing that production will need to get cut hard. Union math can be very destructive when the realities of the real world hit. Maybe they should ask for more compensation, but increased production should be out of the question.

[Chipster]

Looks like this weekend's vote will tell the tale.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20161104/OEM01/161109908/fords-canadian-union-workers-to-vote-on-new-contract

 

In case you can't see the above story, try this one, though this report is not as detailed.

http://www.chch.com/fords-canadian-union-workers-cast-vote-new-contract/

Edited November 5, 2016 by Chipster

[Chipster]

Looks like they got it sorted out.

 

"Ford deal

The Ford contract was ratified in large part thanks to overwhelming support from workers at Ford’s Windsor engine plants, which will receive about $613 million in investments for a major new engine program for some of the automaker’s top-selling vehicles.

About 89 percent of workers at Windsor voted in favor of the deal, compared with 45 percent of workers at the Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant, according to results posted on Unifor Local 707's mobile app.

"This competitive agreement with Unifor enables Ford of Canada to further strengthen its business and positions the Canadian operations for future success," Steve Majer, Ford of Canada vice president of human resources, said in a statement late Sunday. "Ford continues to speak with the federal and Ontario governments to ensure long-term sustainability for Canada's auto manufacturing sector."

New engine program

The Windsor operation will be the “sole global manufacturing source” for a large engine displacement program, according to a highlights packet distributed to employees. Ford is also expected to build an updated 4.8-liter V-8 engine for the F-150 pickup truck in Windsor, the union said.

About $100 million will go toward mid-cycle refreshes of the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKT crossovers at the company’s Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant.

The contract, like those with GM and FCA off which the Ford deal is based, includes a $6,000 bonus, three $2,000 lump sum payments and two 2-percent wage increases for veteran workers. New hires remain on a 10-year wage grow-in period but will now receive pay increases each year under the deal, as a three-year wage freeze has been eliminated.

The continuation of the 10-year wage grow-in period drew the ire of many members at Oakville, where about 2,200 of the plant’s 5,000 workers are new hires. A divide between local union leadership in Oakville and Windsor over the pattern culminated last weekend, when Unifor Local 200 in Windsor criticized its Oakville counterparts for demanding a break from the pattern, a rare public display of disunity from Unifor leadership.

The margin with which the Ford contract passed was lower than the margins for the GM and FCA contract. About 65 percent of GM workers voted in favor of their contract, while 70 percent of FCA workers did the same.

Under the contract, new hires will be placed into a defined-contribution retirement plan, which passes much of the financial risk away from the employer and onto the employees. Workers will be required to contribute 4 percent of their earnings to the plan, which Ford will match. The same applied to workers in the Ford and GM contracts.

New hires will be placed on a defined-contribution retirement plan, seen as less risky to the employer than a traditional pension plan.

The Ford deal would create or save 519 jobs over its course, according to the highlights packet..."

[Burrcold]

I wonder what's going to happen with the lost production of the Flex? Is the MKT even going to continue on without it?

[akirby]

Mkt gets replaced with a new Aviator in 2-3 years. Explorer will share the same platform. Not sure where they will be built.

[Burrcold]

Ah interesting thanks!

[macbwt]

Apparently the retirement plans are moving to 401K's and the older folks will be phased out of the system in the future once they are all dead as it were.