LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The United Auto Workers union is threatening to go on strike next week at Ford Motor Co.’s largest and most profitable factory in a dispute over local contract language. Nearly 9,000 workers at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville will strike on Feb. 23 if the local contract dispute is not resolved, the union said Friday. This potential strike would mark the second time the union has walked out at the factory in the past year. In October, UAW workers shut down the plant during national contract negotiations that ended with substantial raises for employees.
The Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville is responsible for producing heavy-duty F-Series pickup trucks, the Ford Excursion, and the Lincoln Navigator large SUVs, all of which are highly profitable vehicles for Ford. The union has highlighted several areas of contention in their negotiations with Ford, including health and safety issues, minimum in-plant nurse staffing, ergonomic concerns, and the company’s attempt to reduce the number of skilled trades workers. Workers have been without a local contract for five months.
Negotiations continue, according to Ford, and the company is looking forward to reaching an agreement at the plant. The strike could potentially begin at 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 23, the union stated. There are 19 other local agreements being negotiated with Ford, as well as several more at competitors General Motors and Stellantis.
This strike threat comes one day after Ford CEO Jim Farley revealed that last fall’s contentious strike changed Ford’s relationship with the union to the extent that the automaker will “think carefully” about where it builds future vehicles. Farley mentioned that Ford made a conscious decision to build all of its pickup trucks in the United States, yet the Louisville factory was the first truck plant that the UAW shut down during last year’s strike. In contrast, rivals General Motors and Stellantis have truck plants in the U.S. and Mexico.
The situation at Kentucky Truck Plant underscores the complex dynamics between labor and corporate interests in the American automotive industry, highlighting the stakes for both sides as they seek to negotiate labor agreements that are mutually satisfactory. A potential strike at Ford’s most significant factory is indicative of the challenges that persist in ensuring fair and safe working conditions for employees while maintaining competitiveness in the global market.