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Ford Motor Co. recently revealed it is planning to build its upcoming vehicle model in Mexico, and this enraged the members of the United Auto Workers union. This is because the American automaker initially vowed to do the project in its plant in Ohio.
What angered the workers’ union
The UAW union slammed Ford for choosing Mexico over Ohio and suggested the change could be a violation of the company’s contractual commitments. The company previously said it would produce its new vehicle in the Buckeye State, and now it decided not to honor this promise.
This is a loss of job for the Ohio locals, so the workers are expressing their disappointments and called out Ford. UAW Vice President Gerald Kariem released a letter on Tuesday, March 16, and stated that the union is strongly against the company’s decision to change the venue for its vehicle production.
“Ford management expects us to hang our heads and accept the decision. But let me be clear, we are making a different choice," Kariem wrote in the letter that was shared by news reporter Jim Nelson. "We 100% reject the company's decision to put corporate greed and more potential profits over American jobs and the future of our members."
He added that they are expecting the company to honor its contractual commitments, and if Ford does not do so, they will take action. “We are intensely exploring our options at this time,” he added.
The letter from UAW comes as the carmaker continues to reassess its operations under the leadership of Jim Farley, who was appointed to the CEO post just last October 2020. Moreover, the announcement that the company is building its second electric vehicle model in its Mexico plant really irked the workers’ union.
Ford’s response to the outcry of the workers
As per Reuters, Ford issued a statement after the letter from UAW was released. While it did not directly tackle the union’s denunciation over its plans to build its next EV car in its Cuautitlan facility, the company stated in a note addressed to employees that the conditions had changed in the last two years.
The firm’s spokeswoman said that Ford invested over $185 million since 2019 in its Ohio plant. It has been expanded to increase the capacity to produce more vehicles, and it already has around 1,600 UAW-represented employees as well. These statements seem to suggest that it will push through with the plans to make its next EVs in Ohio despite the criticisms and protests.
