LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As 8,700 Louisville Ford workers continue to strike against the auto giant, and thousands more prepare for layoffs, the focus for many Friday was registering for strike pay.
A line of striking Kentucky Truck Plant employees stretched out to the parking lot at the Kentucky Exposition Center, as hundreds at a time entered Freedom Hall to sign up.
"Everybody that's out here feels the same way, that it's worth the sacrifices that we're making for what will be the end result," Benji Ables, KTP employee, said.
UAW's Louisville chapter President Todd Dunn told WHAS11 News it's a process that will take through Sunday, with the payments likely not hitting bank accounts for at least another week.
"Inspired really -- I'm inspired by our membership right now," Dunn said.
In his weekly Friday update, national UAW President Shawn Fein said the negotiations with Ford Motor Company have entered a "new phase," where any plant could be called to walk out at any time.
KTP employees picketing Friday morning outside the plant watched the announcement from their phones, with many reiterating that Fein is spot on with his goals for the working class.
The timeline of how much longer UAW's strike -- which started a month ago -- could last remains unclear.
"It's nerve-racking to not have any idea. There's no crystal ball," Ables said.
Meanwhile, Dunn believes Ford has resorted to scare tactics -- raising concerns about unemployment and healthcare benefits for workers who expect to be laid off.
That includes those at the Louisville Assembly Plant, which Dunn says will soon runs out of parts if things stay status quo.
Dunn told WHAS11 News they'll likely be staggered layoffs that could start as early as Friday night or as late as Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.
"I don't see how they can run and build vehicles after the middle of next week," Dunn said. "There's no magic carpet ride. There's nobody making [the parts needed] anywhere else."
People like Ables, who has been with Ford since 2012, say each day that goes by is a lose-lose situation. But at the same time, he also tells us that Louisville Ford workers are willing to hold out for the right deal.
"The longer that it goes on, the more that both sides will be hurt," he said. "I would hope that within two weeks, we will be done."
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