Bill Ford, the executive chair of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), called on the United Auto Workers to end their strike against the automaker, touting his own pro-union bona fides in the process.
“We are at a crossroads,” Ford said during a news conference at the company’s Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan. “Choosing the right path is not just about Ford’s future and our ability to compete. This is about the future of the American automobile industry.”
"I've also been the most pro-union leader in our industry. On my watch, Ford is the only automaker to add UAW jobs over the last 15 years. ... Ford is the strongest partner the UAW has ever known.”
The great-grandson of founder Henry Ford said the UAW strike against Ford and fellow Detroit automakers General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) and Stellantis NV (NYSE:STLA, EPA:STLA) are weakening them relative to nonunion rivals like Tesla and foreign automakers such as Honda and Toyota.
Last week, the UAW began striking Ford’s Kentucky Truck plant, which employs 8,700 workers and produces Super Duty pickups and Lincoln Navigator SUVs, two high-margin vehicles.
Ford was reportedly shocked by the move, with an executive saying Thursday that the automaker is “at the limit” of what it can offer.
Bill Ford did not discuss the automaker’s pending contract proposal to the UAw, other than calling it a record deal.
"We can stop this now," Bill Ford said. "We need to come together to bring an end to this acrimonious round of talks. I still believe in a bright future, one that we can build together. I still believe the automobile industry is a major force for good in our country."
"This is why Ford investment in the future isn't just a talking point, it's the absolute lifeblood of our company. And if we lose it, we will lose to the competition. America loses. Many jobs will be lost.”
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
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