UAW strike update: 550+ Ford employees laid off due to Kentucky Truck, Chicago Assembly stoppages
DETROIT (FOX 2) - More than 550 Ford employees were told not to report to work Monday as a result of the UAW strike, the automaker said.
"Our production system is highly interconnected, which means the UAW’s targeted strike strategy has knock-on effects for facilities that are not directly targeted for a work stoppage," Ford said in a statement. "In this case, the strike at Kentucky Truck Plant and Chicago Assembly Plant has directly impacted operations at several other facilities."
Most recent round of Ford layoffs:
- 306 employees at Sharonville Transmission Plant
- 100 employees at Dearborn Stamping Plant
- 65 employees at Dearborn Diversified Manufacturing Plant
- 45 employees at Rawsonville Components Plant
- 29 employees at Sterling Axle Plant
- 12 employees at Chicago Stamping Plant
Ford says the facilities impacted are reducing the production of parts that would normally be shipped to the Chicago and Kentucky plants.
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Why UAW hit Ford with surprise strike at key truck plant in Kentucky
The UAW said automakers were starting to wait until the last minute before offering improved contracts. In response, the UAW hit Ford at one of its biggest plants and said it was moving into a new phase of its strike.
Union members have been on strike at Chicago Assembly since Sept. 29. Kentucky Truck Plant members were added to the picket line during a surprise announcement last week. Members are also on strike at Michigan Assembly in Wayne and have been since Sept. 15.
UAW President Shawn Fain said surprise announcements will be the norm moving forward, after spending the first month of the strike announcing additions during planned briefings.
Ford Kentucky Plant surprise UAW strike could affect current progress
The UAW strike at the Ford Kentucky Plant, which involves around 9,000 workers, could affect the economy and the outcome of the ongoing strike in Michigan. Shawn Fain, the Union Chief, will be making a public announcement on Facebook Live Friday morning.
The shift in strategy comes after Fain said automakers were falling into the rhythm of waiting until the last minute to negotiate progress in a contract. The trigger for that change happened Wednesday after Fain said Ford "owed" the UAW a new offer with additional wage increases.
Read more UAW strike coverage here.
Ford said that a total of 2,480 workers have been laid off.
Both General Motors and Stellantis have also laid off employees since the strike began a month ago.