After meeting for several hours in Warren on Thursday evening, UAW officials did not announce a decision on what it would do next in it four-year contract negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers.
DETROIT, MI - After meeting for several hours in Warren on Thursday evening, UAW officials did not announce a decision on what it would do next in its four-year contract negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers.
The UAW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles had reached a tentative contract agreement Sept. 15, and it was meant to set the tone for new contracts with General Motors and Ford Motor Co.
But the some 40,000 rank-and-file UAW workers at FCA plants and facilities voted this week against the new contract by about a 65 percent margin.
"What I love about our organization most of all is that no matter what we do, what action we take, the ultimate decision and the power of the union is our members and they make the final decision," UAW President Dennis Williams said in a statement Thursday.
He added that union officials will be meeting with the UAW-FCA national bargaining committee to discuss the issues with the contract.
A spokesman for the UAW said Friday that he did not expect an announcement to be made by the end of the day.
Going into the talks, which officially began in July, one priority for the UAW was to bridge an apparent wage gap between so-called Tier 1 and Tier 2 workers.
But some workers said they felt the new contracts actually created more tiers.
Some highlights of the contracts included a $3,000 ratification bonus for eligible members, continued profit-sharing, wage increases and a new healthcare co-op designed to keep benefit costs low.
Workers have reportedly been leery of the overall wage structure as well as a planned production shift that would send some work to Mexico while bringing other labor back to the U.S.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.