Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 16, 1993 TAG: 9309160129
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: DEARBORN, MICH. LENGTH: Medium
Officials with the union and the automaker had met in a marathon session to settle differences over minor sticking points.
"We are confident we have reached an agreement that . . . sustains the momentum of the domestic auto industry turnaround," said UAW President Owen Bieber.
"We're not disappointed," said Jack Hall, Ford vice president of employee relations.
Details of the three-year agreement were withheld pending discussion with the UAW-Ford National Bargaining Council on Monday. The council consists of presidents and shop chairmen from each of the 43 Ford union locals.
The UAW represents 96,000 Ford workers nationwide.
A national strike against Ford had been authorized, but union leaders said they would be willing to continue negotiating after the old three-year contract expired if progress was being made.
The Ford-UAW negotiations formally began June 24.
The union extended its agreements with General Motors Corp. for three days during talks in 1990 and for about a day at Ford in 1987.
The basic contract reached at Ford will be used to negotiate agreements with GM's UAW-represented hourly workers and Chrysler Corp.'s hourly workers.
Negotiations between the union and GM and Chrysler were suspended pending the outcome of the Ford talks.
The biggest obstacle to a settlement was said to be Ford's resistance to limiting contracting with outside suppliers for parts and services the UAW says it should provide. Tied to that was Ford's use of outside contractors to perform work inside Ford plants.
Other key issues were Ford's insistence that hourly workers pay more for their health-care benefits, the length of the contract, and the status of a group of unionized white-collar workers.
Separately, the Canadian Auto Workers reached tentative agreement Tuesday on a three-year contract with Chrysler Canada. The CAW picked Chrysler as its bargaining target and will move on to Ford and GM Canadian operations for a similar deal.
by CNB