Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Bill Ford warned Monday that the ongoing UAW strike campaign against Ford and the other Detroit Three automakers is hurting them against nonunion rivals such as Toyota, Honda, Tesla and growing Chinese automakers.
“I have also been the most pro-union leader in our industry,” Ford said at a news conference at the Rouge factory complex in Dearborn. “In my opinion, Ford is the only automaker to create new UAW jobs in the last 15 years, an industry that is extremely competitive. … All negotiations were a challenge. But at the end of the day, we always recognized that we are all Ford and that together we will succeed or fail.”
Ford, the former CEO and great-grandson of the company’s founder, called on the UAW to end the strike against Ford and its Michigan assembly plant in Wayne, the Chicago assembly plant in Illinois and the Kentucky Truck plant in Louisville, which resulted in the loss of about 19,000 workers workers because of the impact of the strike on the disruption of production.
He pointed out that he had not yet commented publicly on the negotiations.
“We can stop this now,” said Bill Ford. “We must work together to end this bitter round of negotiations. I still believe in a bright future that we can build together. I still believe the automotive industry is a major force for good in our country.”
He pointed to Ford’s history of supporting war efforts by building boats, tank parts and engines and later by producing COVID-19 personal protective equipment for frontline health workers and others during the deadly pandemic. A good manufacturing base is critical to our national security, he said.
Building things in America is more important now than ever, Ford said, especially in these uncertain times.
“After 120 years, Ford is still a family business,” said Ford. “That is very important to me. Even when the television cameras go out, I’m still there. I am only the fourth member of my family to lead this company. I always have a long-term perspective. I’m working for a bright future, not just for my children and grandchildren, but also for the hundreds of thousands who count on Ford.
This fight should not be between Ford and the UAW, said Bill Ford.
“Today, as the UAW strike against Ford continues, we stand at a crossroads. Choosing the right path is not just about Ford’s future and our competitiveness. It’s about the future of the American automotive industry. UAW leaders have called.” “We are the enemy in these negotiations. But I will never consider our employees as enemies.”
Competitors like Toyota, Honda and Tesla “love this strike,” Ford said. “They will win and we will all lose.”
Ford made it clear that the industry is at a critical point.
“That’s why Ford’s investments in the future are not just a talking point, they are the absolute lifeblood of our company. And if we lose them, we will lose to the competition. America loses. Many jobs will be lost. This also applies to the future.” Investments. … Communities will suffer greatly.”
Ford is the industry’s longest-serving auto leader and has been involved in all UAW negotiations since 1982, he said.
He did not discuss the upcoming contract proposal with the UAW in detail, but said only that it was a record contract with unprecedented wages and benefits.
The UAW did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Ford’s remarks at the Rouge Visitor Center on Miller Avenue in Dearborn.
On September 29, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the UAW was holding Ford hostage in ongoing negotiations over battery factories under construction. Last Thursday, Ford Blue President Kumar Galhotra said Ford had reached financial limits with its proposals for a new labor contract with the union.
UAW President Shawn Fain says Ford hasn’t progressed far enough in its negotiations.
In recent months, the company has emphasized its commitment to the UAW and collaboration, a departure from the once violent history between Ford and UAW members.
Meanwhile, in Canada, Ford workers and General Motors workers have ratified their employment contracts over the past three weeks through traditional model negotiations. Stellantis is next.
This is the first time the UAW has launched a targeted strike against all three automakers simultaneously while negotiating with all of them. The nationwide strike began Sept. 15 at plants at all three automakers, followed by parts depots at GM and Stellantis. Just last week, the UAW ordered its members to leave Ford’s critically important truck plant in Kentucky.
More: UAW Strike Reaches 1-Month Mark as Some Workers Grow Impatient: Where Things Stand
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or [email protected]. Follow her on the site formerly known as Twitter @phoebesaid.