LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Ford workers voted overwhelmingly this week to authorize a United Auto Workers strike.
Over 100 Louisville Ford union workers chanted and marched at UAW Local 862 on Chamberlain Lane, down the street from the east-end Ford plant, practicing picket just in case the company goes on strike.
They want better pay, hours and benefits by Sept. 14 when union contracts expire. The national UAW chief came to Louisville, not mincing words.
"We're demanding pay increases of 40%. People want to say that is crazy, it shows how much is crazy when the 3 big CEO's took that pay increase," Shawn Fain, president at UAW, said.
Fain came answering concerns from the workers at one of Ford's most successful plants where they make the "Super Duty" pick-up trucks.
Many of the Ford workers brought their children and families, all of them hoping the company doesn't go on strike.
Todd Dunn, UAW Local 862, president said, "we want to build vehicles, I don't want to go on strike I want to get a good contract first but it's not going to be UAW that strikes Ford Motor Company it's going to be Ford Motor Company that forces us to strike because they didn't come to the table with a fair and equitable contract."
According to Dunn, 99% of membership voted to authorize a strike next month, should the UAW call for one. Nationwide contracts between the UAW and Ford, General Motors and Stellantis expire on Sept. 14.
Fain said the plan is to bargain and to get a great agreement for workers.
"If our tax payers are going to fund this then there should be quality jobs with high labor standards, labor can't be left out of this equation," he said.
Ford employs about 12,000 workers between the Kentucky Truck Plant (KTP) and Louisville Assembly Plant (LAP).
UAW re-negotiates contracts with the Detroit Three automakers every four years. This round of negotiations is expected to be contentious due to huge profits being made by corporations, the advent of electric vehicles and concessions made by workers in 2008 that have yet to be undone.
Ford workers from the both the assembly and truck plant locations want better cost of living allowances.
"We deserve to have a fair wage, we deserve to have reasonable working conditions and we deserve to have healthcare," Ford employee Darrin Bond said.
In the crowd, the UPS teamsters local rep. was standing in solidarity with Ford workers as this union is taking many of their cues from the recent UPS negotiations.
Congressman Morgan McGarvey also attended, expressing his support to Ford for all of the work they do across the state.
"I am proud of the work we do making those heavy trucks and I'm proud of the work we do with Louisville assembly plant," McGarvey said.
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