Union threatens to strike over contract dispute at Ford’s Ky. Truck Plant in Louisville
United Auto Workers says nearly 9,000 employees at Ford Motor Company’s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville will strike next Friday unless contract disputes are resolved.
The union said in an announcement Friday that “Ford’s continued attempts to erode the skilled trades at Kentucky Truck Plant” and health and safety issues including on-site nurse staffing levels and ergonomics are at the heart of the dispute.
UAW Vice President Chuck Browning has asked the UAW President Shawn Fain to set a strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. Feb. 23 at the Jefferson County plant “after Ford Motor Company has failed to reach a local agreement with UAW Local 862 at Kentucky Truck Plant more than five months past the contract deadline,” the union said in a news release.
As of Aug. 31, the Kentucky Truck Plant had 9,251 employees, of which 8,711 were hourly workers, according to Ford’s website.
The plant makes Ford F-250–F-550 Super Duty Trucks, as well as the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator.
The UAW said Kentucky Truck employees played a key role in the strikes last year that “won historic raises and contract improvements” for workers at Ford, GM and Stellantis.
The UAW has national contracts, as well as local agreements related to issues specific to individual locations. Besides the agreement at the Louisville truck facility, the UAW said it has 19 other open local agreements at Ford sites and several other open agreements at GM and Stellantis.
