Mike Martinez
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@Automotive_News reporter covering Ford & the UAW. TIME Magazine's 2006 Person of the Year.
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Articles by Mike Martinez
Ford eases demands on dealers who want to sell EVs
The Illinois dispute is among numerous battles nationwide over Ford's EV program. The company has had mixed results fighting the legal challenges. A New York judge in September blocked the company from imposing facility and business requirements on five dealerships to sell EVs until a lawsuit challenging the brands' dealer agreement changes is resolved. But Ford in July got a favorable ruling from a court in South Dakota, where a judge determined the program does not violate state franchise law.
Ford eases some dealer EV mandates, loses Ill. challenge
The company said "Certified Elite" dealers — the more expensive of the program's two tiers, primarily for those in larger markets — have to install three Level 2 chargers instead of the five it previously was mandating. The company also is removing a requirement to add a Level 3 charger by 2026. Dealers on the lower-priced "Certified" tier are now required to install two Level 2 chargers instead of five.
Column: UAW talks are over, thankfully
UAW members at the Detroit 3 have a little extra to be grateful for this week as they gather around the Thanksgiving dinner table. Last week started with a string of "no" votes at numerous General Motors plants that put passage in doubt. How could workers turn down a record contract, you ask? Some complained that UAW negotiators didn't win sufficient improvements to retirement plans. Older workers nearing the end of their careers weren't happy that younger, newer hires will get larger raises.
Stellantis workers ratify UAW contract; Ford on brink of approval
UAW members at Stellantis have ratified a new four-and-a-half year labor contract that includes 25 percent raises and $19 billion in investment, according to an Automotive News analysis of voting results. The union's deal with Ford Motor Co. was o...
Stellantis workers ratify UAW contract; Ford on brink of approval
UAW members at Stellantis have ratified a new four-and-a-half year labor contract that includes 25-percent raises and $19 billion in investment, according to an Automotive News analysis of voting results. The union's deal with Ford Motor Co. was on track to be approved Friday morning, bringing a bitter round of negotiations to a close after a six-week strike.
Stellantis workers ratify UAW contract; Ford on brink of approval
UAW members at Stellantis have ratified a new four-and-a-half year labor contract that includes 25 percent raises and $19 billion in investment, according to an Automotive News analysis of voting results. The union's deal with Ford Motor Co. was on track to be approved Friday morning, bringing a bitter round of negotiations to a close after a six-week strike.
Stellantis workers ratify UAW contract; Ford on brink of approval
The UAW and Stellantis declined to comment until all the votes were tallied. The outcome of voting at Ford will be determined Friday when results arrive from Local 600, which represents workers at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan and numerous component facilities. The Ford deal was passing 67 percent to 33 percent Friday morning, with only two locals voting against it so far.
Ford store's 'fleet queen' boosts sales with customer outreach
At Peoria Ford, Sandra Gonzalez is known as the "fleet queen." And for the past few years, she's been expanding her kingdom. Gonzalez, government and commercial fleet sales account manager at the suburban Phoenix dealership, has boosted sales and increased profits with a strategy that involves actively seeking new customers instead of waiting for them to come to the store.
UAW members voting on ‘life-changing' contracts with Detroit 3
The UAW's tentative contract agreements with the Detroit 3 are so lucrative, especially for newer workers, that the union is already touting them as the ammunition needed to organize nonunion automakers.
UAW members voting on ‘life-changing' contracts with Detroit 3
The UAW's tentative contract agreements with the Detroit 3 are so lucrative, especially for newer workers, that the union is already touting them as the ammunition needed to organize nonunion automakers. The deals, reached after a six-week strike and detailed to members this week, included $5,000 bonuses upon ratification. Workers hired within the past three years get upward of 40 percent pay bumps immediately, en route to earning $42 an hour in late 2027.
First Ford workers to go on strike vote heavily in favor of tentative deal
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UAW deals with Detroit 3 include some back pay for strike, layoffs
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UAW deals with Detroit 3 include some back pay for strike, layoffs
The UAW's tentative agreements with the Detroit 3 include extra money for striking and laid off workers to recoup a large portion of their pay from their time off the job, according to people familiar with the deals.
UAW deals with Detroit 3 include some back pay for strike, layoffs
At Ford, the total pot of money the union won to compensate workers who were off the job is about $53 million, two of the people said. Automotive News previously reported that Ford had agreed to give striking workers some compensation. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday first reported that figure would be more than $100 per day. Roughly 45,000 Detroit 3 workers were on strike and about 7,500 were laid off at the height of the work stoppage last month.
First Ford workers to go on strike vote heavily in favor of tentative deal
Workers at Ford Motor Co.'s Michigan Assembly Plant have overwhelmingly voted in favor of the UAW's tentative contract agreement with the automaker. Approximately 82 percent of votes cast by UAW Local 900 members were in support of the deal. The local said 81 percent of production workers and 90 percent of skilled trades workers voted yes but did not provide the number of ballots cast.
UAW strike: Winners, losers in union's tentative labor contract with Ford
Ratification voting starts this week on the UAW's tentative agreement with Ford Motor Co. Michael Martinez, labor reporter for Crain's sister publication Automotive News, has been following the negotiations since they formally began this summer and, as in 2019, has some thoughts on who stands to benefit and who won't from the first of the deals reached with the Detroit 3 over the past week. Shawn Fain: The "folksy Gen X class struggle Christian white dude from Indiana" delivered.
Winners, losers of the UAW's tentative labor contract with Ford
Ratification voting starts this week on the UAW's tentative agreement with Ford Motor Co. Labor reporter Michael Martinez has been following the negotiations since they formally began this summer and, as in 2019, has some thoughts on who stands to benefit and who won't from the first of the deals reached with the Detroit 3 over the past week. Shawn Fain: The "folksy Gen X class struggle Christian white dude from Indiana" delivered.
Winners, losers of the UAW's tentative labor contract with Ford
Suppliers: This wasn't their fight, but they likely paid the highest price. Suppliers to the Detroit 3 have sustained at least $3 billion in losses since the UAW went on strike Sept. 15, according to the Anderson Economic Group. Those companies don't have nearly the profit margins or cash reserves the automakers do. Ford estimated in early October that roughly 15,000 supplier employees had been laid off. Some smaller Tier 2 or 3 companies might not survive.
Opinion: UAW won historic gains from the Detroit 3, but a big hurdle remains
A more militant and strategic UAW, in months of bitter negotiations with the Detroit 3, clawed back more value for its members than experts thought possible and what the automakers wanted to give up. But the process isn't over quite yet. Ratification will be the ultimate test of UAW President Shawn Fain's aggressive, unconventional approach to bargaining.
Column: UAW won historic gains from the Detroit 3, but a big hurdle remains
Since Fain presented his "members' demands" in early August, and at every subsequent Facebook Live broadcast or in-person rally, he has conditioned the rank-and-file to believe they deserve the moon. A picket line cameo by President Joe Biden, who voiced support for the union's cause, helped reinforce that idea. For all Fain achieved at the bargaining table, the deals still fall short of his initial promises.
UAW strike: Can historic gains satisfy workers' sky-high expectations?
A more militant and strategic UAW, in months of bitter negotiations with the Detroit 3, clawed back more value for its members than experts thought possible and what the automakers wanted to give up.
UAW strike: Ford deal going to rank-and-file for ratification voting
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UAW strike: Ford deal going to rank-and-file for ratification voting Original
DETROIT — The National UAW-Ford Council on Sunday approved a tentative agreement with the automaker that includes more than $8 billion in investments over the next four and a half years, sending it to members for ratification votes in the coming weeks, council members told Automotive News. The move, largely a procedural step, came during a five-hour meeting in suburban Detroit where union leaders including UAW-Ford Vice President Chuck Browning walked officials through details of the deal.
UAW strike: Union's wins come at big cost to Detroit 3
A costly strike by the UAW resulted in major victories for union workers, but the historic wages and benefits won at the bargaining table are likely to reshape future investment and hiring decisions by the Detroit 3 as they seek to offset higher labor costs.
UAW strike: Union's wins come at big cost to Detroit 3
A costly strike by the UAW resulted in major victories for union workers, but the historic wages and benefits won at the bargaining table are likely to reshape future investment and hiring decisions by the Detroit 3 as they seek to offset higher labor costs.
Ford Q3 earnings: UAW strike cost $1.3 billion, overshadowing $1.2B net income
Ford Motor Co. on Thursday said the UAW's 41-day strike cost the automaker $1.3 billion, effectively wiping out $1.2 billion in third-quarter net income. To Continue Reading... Subscribe to read the full story and other breaking news today.
Ford Q3 earnings: UAW strike cost $1.3 billion, overshadowing $1.2B net income Original
Ford Motor Co. on Thursday said the UAW's 41-day strike cost the automaker $1.3 billion, effectively wiping out $1.2 billion in third-quarter net income. Ford CFO John Lawler said the strike, which ended late Wednesday after reaching a tentative agreement with the union that gives workers 25 percent raises over the next four and a half years, canceled production of 80,000 vehicles.
Ford deal a ‘stunning victory' for UAW; automaker begins slow production restart
Ford Motor Co. likely will take weeks to resume full production in Michigan, Illinois and Kentucky after reaching a tentative contract agreement with the UAW that ended a 41-day strike Wednesday evening.
Ford deal a ‘stunning victory' for UAW; automaker begins slow production restart Original
Employees were called off picket lines shortly after the deal was reached, and many have been placed on temporary layoff as they await notification to return to work in the coming days, according to some who spoke with Automotive News. That slow restart could add to Ford's financial losses from the strike, which J.P. Morgan estimated Thursday at slightly more than $1 billion.
UAW calls off strike against Ford after tentative contract reached
The UAW said it would end its 41-day strike against Ford Motor Co. after reaching a tentative agreement late Wednesday that gives workers immediate 11% raises. The deal must be ratified by the union’s 57,000 members at Ford. It includes raises totaling 25% over the next four years, a reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments and a three-year path to top wages, among other benefits. “Our stand-up strike has delivered,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a recorded video.
Ford, UAW close in on tentative deal that could end 6-week-old strike
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Ford, UAW close in on tentative deal with 25% raises, sources say Original
Ford Motor Co. and the UAW could announce a tentative agreement as early as Wednesday evening, a person with knowledge of the discussions told Automotive News, that includes raises totaling 25 percent over the next four years and could soon end the union's six-week-old strike. The two sides bargained for much of Tuesday evening and into early Wednesday morning, two sources said. They were still at the table early Wednesday evening.
UAW calls off strike against Ford after tentative contract reached with 25% raises
The UAW on Wednesday, Oct. 25, said it was ending its 41-day strike against Ford Motor Co. after reaching a tentative agreement that gives workers immediate 11% raises.
UAW strike: Union, Detroit 3 come closer on raises
The UAW now is seeking raises totaling at least 25 percent from the Detroit 3, a significant reduction from its original demand of 40 percent, as the two sides close in on resolving a major sticking point to reaching deals to end the union's 6-week-old strike, according to people familiar with the talks. The new figure, relayed to some bargaining teams in recent days, would result in top hourly wages of about $41.20 in 2027.
UAW strike: Union, Detroit 3 come closer on raises
The UAW now is seeking raises totaling at least 25 percent from the Detroit 3, a significant reduction from its original demand of 40 percent, as the two sides close in on resolving a major sticking point to reaching deals to end the union's 6-week-old strike, according to people familiar with the talks. The new figure, relayed to some bargaining teams in recent days, would result in top hourly wages of about $41.20 in 2027.
UAW strike: Union, Detroit 3 come closer on raises Original
The UAW now is seeking raises totaling at least 25 percent from the Detroit 3, a significant reduction from its original demand of 40 percent, as the two sides close in on resolving a major sticking point to reaching deals to end the union's 6-week-old strike, according to people familiar with the talks. The new figure, relayed to some bargaining teams in recent days, would result in top hourly wages of about $41.20 in 2027.
UAW strikes GM's high-profit big SUV plant; 5,000 more workers walk off the job in Texas
GM, in a statement, said it was "disappointed by the escalation of this unnecessary and irresponsible strike." It said the company had upped the value of its previous proposal to the union by 25 percent last week and that the UAW's actions are "harming our team members who are sacrificing their livelihoods and having negative ripple effects on our dealers, suppliers, and the communities that rely on us." The move comes a day after the UAW expanded the strike to one of Stellantis' most...
UAW strike: Ford makes 364 more layoffs in Mich., Ohio
"The bottom line is we've got cards left to play, and they've got money left to spend," Fain said. He added that the union wants "not just a good contract, not just a record contract, but a contract that turns the tide." Earlier Friday, GM shared details of its latest proposal, including raising top wages for UAW members to more than $40 per hour by 2027 and "substantial" improvements in areas such as retirement security and temporary worker pay.
From sunburns to long johns: Impatience grows as UAW strike drags into 6th week
At GM's Willow Run Redistribution Center a few miles west, Mercedes Wallace was one of three workers guarding the only entrance. Compared to the big assembly plants, strike shifts at the 38 GM and Stellantis parts depots scattered across the country are a little quieter. Wallace said the strike is starting to wear on her. "Hopefully at the end of the road we'll get a good contract, but we don't want to be out here forever," she said.
Detroit 3 lay off 270 more workers in Sterling Heights, Toledo, Indiana
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Detroit 3 lay off 270 more workers in Mich., Ohio, Ind.
Stellantis on Thursday said it will temporarily idle 100 more UAW members at the Toledo Machining Plant in Ohio, effective Oct. 23. Workers there supply components for Jeeps built at the nearby Toledo Assembly Complex, which has been down since the strike started Sept. 15. The automaker has laid off approximately 1,520 employees because of the work stoppage.
Ford names Kumar Galhotra COO, Andrew Frick head of gasoline business
Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday appointed Kumar Galhotra as its COO, a position that recently has served as a steppingstone to the chief executive role, as the automaker simplifies its organizational structure and works to deliver on its growth plan. To Continue Reading... Subscribe to read the full story and other breaking news today.
Ford names Kumar Galhotra COO, Andrew Frick head of gasoline business
"We now have the right people with the right talent in the right places to give our customers products, services and value they can't get anywhere else," Farley said in a statement.
Bill Ford: Future of auto industry at stake in ‘acrimonious' UAW negotiations
Ford said he purposely had not discussed the negotiations publicly until now but wanted to speak up because of his perspective. He has been part of every set of UAW contract talks since 1982, a few years after he joined the company, and says he's the most "pro-union leader in the industry." The strike against the Detroit 3 began Sept. 15 with three assembly plants and has since expanded to about 34,000 workers at 44 facilities across the U.S. "We can stop this now," Ford said.
UAW says no strike expansion Friday but warns of future action 'at any time' Original
The union on Wednesday unexpectedly shut down Ford's largest and most profitable assembly operation, the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, after Fain said the automaker refused to make progress at the bargaining table. The site employs roughly 8,700 hourly workers who build Super Duty pickups and two full-size SUVs, the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. Fain suggested the automaker had become complacent in its approach to the talks.
UAW strike: Ford says it's 'reached our limit' on cost of UAW contract
'We've actually stretched ourselves to get to this point,' Kumar Galhotra said of Ford's most recent offer after the UAW expanded its strike to include the highly profitable Kentucky Truck Plant. A top Ford Motor Co. executive on Oct. 12 said the company had reached the limit of what it could offer the UAW economically in a new labor contract but remained hopeful it could reach an agreement that meets some of the union's priorities. Do you have an opinion about this story?
UAW strike: Ford says it's 'reached our limit' on cost of UAW contract
A top Ford Motor Co. executive on Thursday said the company had reached the limit of what it could offer the UAW economically in a new labor contract but remained hopeful it could reach an agreement that meets some of the union's priorities. The automaker's most recent offer to the UAW includes raises totaling 23 percent for hourly employees, reinstated cost-of-living adjustments and a $21 starting wage for temporary workers.
Ford battery venture ups wages at planned Tennessee, Kentucky plants
A company official said the new associate role is for those without the experience to qualify for a maintenance technician position. BlueOval SK said hourly employees will be eligible for a regular pay increase every six months until reaching top wages, when the human resources department will "regularly assess pay increases to maintain competitiveness." Hourly workers will be eligible for annual bonuses of up to 5 percent, based on position and performance.
UAW expands strike to Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant, adding 8,700 to picket lines
The UAW on Wednesday abruptly shut down Ford Motor Co.'s largest and most profitable assembly lines by expanding a nearly 4-week-old strike against the Detroit 3 to include the Kentucky Truck Plant. The union announced the walkout on social media, effective immediately, saying Ford "refuses to make further movement in bargaining." The union telegraphed the move about 45 minutes before the official announcement with a post that it quickly deleted.
UAW expands strike to Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant, adds 8,700 workers to picket lines
"We have been crystal clear, and we have waited long enough, but Ford has not gotten the message," UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement. "It's time for a fair contract at Ford and the rest of the Big Three.
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