Amid strike threat, Ford Louisville union to host UAW President Shawn Fain

A summer marked by labor unrest from unions across the country is heating up in Louisville — again.

On Monday and Tuesday UAW Local 862, which represents Ford auto workers at the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant and the Ford Louisville Assembly Plant, will host a strike authorization vote along with UAW union halls across the country, allowing the union to strike after its contract expires on Sept. 14, if deemed necessary.

Just days after the strike authorization vote, UAW Local 862 will host practice pickets for members to practice what a strike would entail. The Louisville union members will be joined by Shawn Fain, the International President of UAW who was sworn into office in March as the first UAW president directly elected by the members.

The visit and the vote come just after Louisville and the country escaped what would have been the largest single employer strike in U.S. history with UPS and Teamsters, the union representing 340,000 workers nationwide, reaching a tentative agreement on July 25. The two sides expect to see the contract ratified when member voting concludes on Aug. 22.

Now, with yet another strike lingering at one of Kentucky's largest employers and one of the nation's largest companies, here's what we know about the ongoing UAW negotiations.

What is the UAW?

The UAW, or the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, is one of the largest unions in North America with more than 400,000 active members across 600 local unions.

What is UAW negotiating for?

The UAW represents auto workers at the Big Three auto manufacturers, which includes General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis, which owns the Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat brands.

During this year's negotiations, the UAW has been focused on transparency.

"Transparency makes us stronger," Fain said during a Facebook Live. "When I was a national negotiator, it was incredibly frustrating to see the president go behind closed doors and cut a backroom deal. It’s not the power of the president that wins a strong contract. It’s the power of a mobilized membership."

Currently, the union is negotiating with these automakers for a myriad of new contract items including eliminating tiered work, wage increases, restoration of cost of living adjustments, pensions for all workers, retiree medical benefits, right to strike over plant closures, and more.

Fain has acknowledged the "audacious" demands of members as the deadline for a new four-year labor contract quickly approaches.

"Record profits mean record contracts," Fain said during an Aug. 1 Facebook Live broadcast, the Detroit Free Press reported. "While big execs have used those extreme profits to pump up their pay, our members have fallen further and further behind. ... The rich are getting richer while the rest of us are getting left behind."

How many UAW workers in Louisville?

In Louisville, the two plants that will be impacted by the ongoing UAW negotiations are the Ford plants on Chamberlain Lane and Fern Valley Road.

Ford employs about 13,000 people in Louisville, with many being UAW represented. Overall, Ford is the largest employer of UAW-represented auto workers, Ford sources said.

The Kentucky Truck Plant, home of the Super Duty Truck, is responsible for 54% of Ford's North American profits, UAW Local 862 President Todd Dunn previously told the Courier Journal.

“Super Duty is the Ford Motor Company,” said Ford executive chair Bill Ford in March at the 2023 Super Duty launch in Louisville.

Alongside the Super Duty F-250 to F-450, the truck plant also produces the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. Across town, the Louisville Assembly Plant produces the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair.

A Ford source previously told the Courier Journal that the goals for the company during negotiations this year are protecting American jobs since 80% of Ford vehicles are made in the U.S., rewarding employees hard work, navigating the transition to electric vehicle production, and maintaining flexibility to respond to customer demands.

Recently, Ford has been breaking ground on BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, a joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and SK On. The battery park, which is expected to start production in 2025, has begun hiring workers. Currently, these workers are not set to be unionized; they would have to organize themselves to join the UAW.

The GM Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green is also UAW represented and in 2019, roughly 900 workers walked out on strike.

Strike authorization vote, practice pickets and what's next?

The UAW members in Louisville will start voting to authorize a strike at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 21, and polls will close Aug. 22 at 11:30 p.m. The strike authorization vote is considered something of a formality during contract talks, the Detroit Free Press previously reported.

Then on Aug. 24 and 25, the union members will be outside at the union halls running through practice pickets.

“Whether or not there’s a strike next month is entirely up to the Big Three automakers,” Fain said in a news release sent to the Detroit Free Press. “Our priorities are clear, the companies can afford them, and there's plenty of time for the Big Three to get serious about these negotiations. This is about economic justice for the autoworkers who make this industry run, and who have generated record profits for Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.”

President Joe Biden has even chimed in urging the UAW and the Detroit Three automakers to reach a fair contract that will offer job security and pay wages to support the middle class as the carmakers transition to an electric vehicle future, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Across the country, and right here in Louisville, thousands of auto workers are voting and preparing for a potential strike, while hoping an amicable agreement is reached in national negotiations.

"We're united for a strong contract," Dunn said. "I think it is a generational defining moment ... we'd love to have an agreement and vote on it, but if not, we're prepared."

Jamie L. LaReau, Eric D. Lawrence and Phoebe Wall-Howard contributed to this report. Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on Twitter at @oliviamevans_. 

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Ford union host UAW president as autoworkers strike looms