Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford called for an end to the month-long UAW strike over the weekend, saying that if the strike continues it could jeopardize Ford's ability to invest in the future.
"It’s the absolute lifeblood of our company. And if we lose it, we will lose to the competition. America loses. Many jobs will be lost."The strike widened last week when 8,700 workers walked off the job at a Ford truck plant in Louisville, Kentucky. Ford is the largest employer of UAW workers in the big three. It employs 57,000 UAW members compared to 46,000 at GM, the next largest employer.
Ford has offered a 23% increase to wages over four years, and is bringing back cost-of-living raises. But union leadership has called the offer insufficient.Overall, according to a Monday report by the Michigan-based Anderson Economic Group, LLC, the UAW strike may have now caused roughly $7.7 billion in losses for automakers, workers and certain connected industries.