UAW, Ford Tentative Deal: See Labor Contract Details

DETROIT — The United Auto Workers will look to ratify a tentative agreement Sunday in Detroit after the union reached with Ford Motor Company, ending a 40-day strike against the automaker, according to United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain.

The new deal includes wage increases of at least 25 percent over the life of the contract and an 11 percent increase in the first year over a four and a half year contract, according to the union.

The new deal also raises the top wage by more than 30 percent to more than $40 an hour, raises the starting wage by 68 percent to more than $28 an hour, improves benefits for current retirees, workers with pensions and those who have 401(k) plans and more.

Union leaders said the deal is the best wage increase and overall package they've had in over 20 years. The UAW National Ford Council will review the tentative agreement before sending it to union members for a ratification vote Sunday in Detroit. More than 57,000 UAW Ford workers have to ratify the agreement for it to be final.

Fain said he will hold a Facebook Live discussion on Sunday to review the situation in more detail.

While roughly 20,000 UAW Ford autoworkers returned to work Wednesday, thousands of union members at General Motors and Stellantis were still striking at multiple plants across the nation.

General Motors said they presented a "record offer" to the union last week. The package includes pushing a GM hourly employee represented by the union to $40.39 per hour by the end of the agreement, up from $32.32 currently.

Stellantis, on the other hand, said they were outraged after the union ordered 6,800 members to walk out of its most profitable plant in Sterling Heights on Monday. The walkouts came after the automaker presented the union with an offer that included 23 percent wage increases over the life of the contract, nearly a 50 percent increase in contributions to the retirement savings plan and additional job security protections for its employees.

The historic UAW strike against Detroit's Big Three began on Sept. 8 after the union's contract expired without a new one in place. At one point, roughly 45,000 United Auto Worker members across Detroit's Big Three have walked off the job. It was the first time ever the union launched a strike against all three automakers at the same time.

The union initially called for a 46 percent wage increase and a 32-hour workweek for its members. In addition, the union also wanted to eliminate the wage tiered system, restore cost of living adjustments, ending temporary workers after 90 days and increase multiple retiree benefits.