Ford Production Workers in Kentucky Reject Tentative Agreement, Raising Deal Doubts

Production workers at Ford's (F) Louisville assembly and Kentucky truck plants voted against a tentative deal between Ford and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, casting doubt on whether the agreement will be ratified.

While 69% of skilled trades workers voted in favor of the tentative deal, 55% of production workers voted against it, according to a Facebook post by the local UAW chapter. The overall percentage of workers for and against were not revealed.

For Ford's agreement with UAW to be ratified, a consensus among the majority of workers is required. The final percentages of all UAW workers have not been disclosed, but a few local union branches have started sharing their results.

Last week, auto workers at General Motors' (GM) Flint, Michigan facility voted against the tentative contract, with the UAW Local 598 union reporting that 53% of production workers opposed the deal, while 65% of skilled trades workers supported it. In total, 52% voted against the proposed agreement.

While UAW workers at the Flint engine operations plant voiced opposition to the agreement, four other units have expressed strong support. Over 80% of workers at Ford's Michigan assembly plant favored the deal, according to the initial vote from UAW Local 900.

According to UAW vote tracker, 70.7% of workers across Ford's different facilities have cast affirmative votes for the deal so far.

If the agreement is ratified, it could significantly raise Ford's costs. Last month, Ford withdrew its forecast for full-year results, citing uncertainty related to negotiations with the union, while cautioning about ongoing challenges and pressure on electric vehicles.

Ford shares were down 0.6% in early trading on Monday following the news.