Ford, UAW talks could set pattern for workers in all industries

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http://www.suntimes.com/7597165-417/ford-uaw-talks-could-set-tone-for-workers-in-all-industries.html

By francine Knowles [e-mail] September 11, 2011 4:44PM

As the clock ticks towards the expiration of the United Auto Workers and Ford contract at midnight Wednesday, local Ford workers say they want to see a deal that rewards them for helping in the company’s financial turnaround.

Meanwhile labor and industry experts say much is riding on the outcome of negotiations for both Ford and the union. And some contend workers in and outside the auto industry may have a stake in what emerges from the talks, which are also under way at General Motors and Chrysler. snip

While Ford workers recently authorized negotiators to call a strike if a fair agreement isn’t reached, a strike isn’t expected. But Ford is the only one of the three domestic autoworkers, where workers could potentially strike. Current contracts at GM and Chrysler prevent a strike. snip

“The auto industry plays a significant role in our overall economy,” he said. “It’s impossible for the American economy to be globally competitive without a strong sector that makes something, and the best paying jobs in this society for people who don’t hold professional rank is in manufacturing. If the UAW and the industry can’t negotiate middle class wages and secure jobs and do that along with being able to build cars that people want, then it puts at risk one of the major ladders into the middle class for working people in this country, and that’s the auto industry. So yeah, it always matters what happens in auto.”