UAW Members Ratify New Contracts with Ford, GM, and Stellantis, Providing 11% Immediate Pay Increase and 25% Total Pay Increase Over 4½-Year Deal

After a six-week strike, United Auto Workers (UAW) members have ratified new contracts with Ford, General Motors, and Jeep parent company Stellantis. The contracts, which cover a total of 150,000 workers, will provide an immediate 11% pay increase and a total 25% pay increase over the course of the 4½-year deal.

The new contracts also include cost-of-living adjustments, the ability to reach top wages in three years instead of eight, and the protection of the right to strike over plant closures. The Ford and Stellantis contracts were approved by healthy margins, while the GM deal passed narrowly with 55% of workers in favor and 45% opposed.

UAW President Shawn Fain said the ratification votes “locked in record gains” and recouped some of the concessions workers had made in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. He added that the new contracts will help ensure that workers have a secure future.

The strike, which began on September 15th, was the longest since the 1970s and was seen as a sign of renewed militancy within the auto industry. The strike caused a disruption in production and cost the companies an estimated $2 billion.

The new contracts will help the companies move forward and ensure that workers are able to continue their jobs with improved wages and benefits. This is a major victory for the UAW and its members, who have shown their commitment to protecting their rights and improving their working conditions.