No New Deal Yet Between Ford, UAW

Negotiations between Ford Motor Co. and the United Auto Workers continued through the night and into today without a new, 4-year collective bargaining agreement.

A source close to the negotiations tells Ward’s talks are progressing, and although they have not yielded any major developments, no deadlines have been set.

In its talks last month with General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, the UAW set a deadline after negotiations stalled. Workers briefly walked off the job at both auto makers before a new contract was reached.

A deal has been expected since Oct. 31, when UAW President Ron Gettelfinger joined the talks personally, whose presence usually means the two sides are in the final stages of negotiations.

Similar to its cross-town rivals, Ford wants to shed plant jobs. But it needs deeper cuts than GM and Chrysler, likely upwards of 10,000 jobs on top of the 27,000 UAW positions eliminated in June. In return, the UAW is asking for the same product-investment guarantees and retiree health-care trust agreed on by GM and Chrysler.

The UAW represents 58,500 workers at Ford.