Nov. 30 (UPI) — The United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced Saturday that they have reached a tentative agreement that adds nearly 8,000 jobs over the four-year life of the contract.
FCA confirmed in a press statement that it reached a deal with the union but did not release further details.
“Our UAW Bargaining Committee worked diligently, over many months, during the General Motors strike and Ford negotiations to maintain productive negotiations with FCA,” said UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada, who directs the union’s UAW-FCA department.
“The pattern bargaining strategy has been a very effective approach for the UAW and its members to negotiate economic gains around salary, benefits and job security. In addition to the $4.5 billion in major investments previously announced, negotiators secured an additional $4.5 billion for a total of $9 billion of investments adding 7,900 jobs during the contract period.”
FCA hourly and salaried workers are expected to begin their vote on whether to ratify the contract Dec. 6 in a process that usually takes about two weeks, the Detroit Free Press reported Saturday.
Workers are expected to ratify the contract, though the vote could be complicated by allegations of corruption that have roiled the union in recent weeks. This month two UAW officials — a former UAW president and a regional director — resigned after being implicated in a massive corruption scheme in which they were accused of submitting misleading expense reports.
