UAW expands strike to Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant

The United Auto Workers' union on Oct. 11 abruptly shut down Ford Motor Co.'s largest and most profitable assembly lines by expanding a nearly four-week-old strike against the Detroit 3 to include the Kentucky Truck Plant.

The union announced the walkout on social media, effective immediately, saying Ford "refuses to make further movement in bargaining." The union telegraphed the move about 45 minutes before the official announcement with a post that it quickly deleted.

Kentucky Truck, one of two Ford assembly plants in Louisville, employs roughly 8,700 workers who build Super Duty pickups as well as the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator large SUVs.

"We have been crystal clear, and we have waited long enough, but Ford has not gotten the message," UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement. "It's time for a fair contract at Ford and the rest of the Big Three. If they can't understand that after four weeks, the 8,700 workers shutting down this extremely profitable plant will help them understand it."

Ford, in a statement, called the union's decision "grossly irresponsible but unsurprising given the union leadership's stated strategy of keeping the Detroit 3 wounded for months through 'reputational damage' and 'industrial chaos.' "

Ford also said adding Kentucky Truck to the strike that began Sept. 15 at three Detroit 3 assembly plants will put at risk about a dozen more Ford facilities that could affect 100,000 people, including suppliers.

"The UAW leadership's decision to reject this record contract offer—which the UAW has publicly described as the best offer on the table—and strike Kentucky Truck Plant, carries serious consequences for our work force, suppliers, dealers and commercial customers," the company said.

Super Duty pickups are immensely important to the company. 

Ford has said that vehicle line alone generates more revenue than Southwest Airlines, Marriott International and Nordstrom reported in 2021. It accounts for more than half of the market in commercial segments such as utility, mining, construction and emergency response vehicles, according to S&P Global Mobility.

The company said it had presented an "outstanding offer" and "has been bargaining in good faith this week on joint venture battery plants."

A Ford source with knowledge of the negotiations said the union and auto maker had been having constructive discussions this week, with the understanding they would focus on specific issues such as battery plants and retirement security.

On Oct. 11, the union informed Ford it wanted a new counteroffer on economics by 5 p.m., then called for a 5:30 p.m. meeting at Ford headquarters attended by the UAW’s entire bargaining committee, including Fain and other top officials.

When the company said it did not have a full counteroffer on economics, Fain stood up and said, “You just lost Kentucky Truck Plant,” the source said.
The meeting took less than 10 minutes, the source said.

The source said Ford told the union last week that its most recent proposal was at or near the limit of what it could offer economically but was continuing to negotiate unresolved union priorities.

A UAW source with knowledge of the talks said the union had still been expecting Ford to enhance its offer. When Ford did not add to its economic proposal at the Oct. 11 meeting, the source said Fain responded: “If this is all you have for us, our members’ lives and my handshake are worth more than this. This just cost you the Kentucky Truck Plant.”

The UAW’s deleted post about the strike at Kentucky Truck was made at 5:44 p.m., only a few minutes after the sources said the meeting ended.

The union's Oct. 11 announcement stands in contrast to the more predictable, methodical escalations it announced in earlier weeks. Fain had typically announced a decision on whether to expand the strike during Friday broadcasts on Facebook that were announced days ahead of time.

The union has said its "stand-up strike" strategy is meant to keep the companies guessing and unsure of the union's next move.

With the addition of Kentucky Truck, about 34,000 UAW-represented workers are on strike against the Detroit 3. At least 7,800 additional people, including those employed by suppliers, have been laid off, according to an Automotive News tally.

The union said it decided at the last minute not to have workers strike at General Motors' Arlington Assembly plant in Texas, which builds large SUVs.
Meanwhile, Ford said Oct. 11 that it laid off an additional 58 workers at Sterling Axle in Michigan, bringing the total at that plant to 133. About 1,920 Ford employees have been laid off due to the strike.