Louisville, Ky. - Louisville autoworkers have voted overwhelmingly to approve a new contract between Ford and the UAW.  The union tells WHAS11 News that eighty percent voted in favor.  It’s an historic agreement for what the union is giving up in exchange for some job security.

“A changing of the times. We need to change with the times, you know.  You got to give up some stuff,” Kenneth Broadus told WHAS11’s Joe Arnold.  Broadus has been with Ford for 14 years.  He says that UAW members didn’t lose a lot in the contract, only so much as to remain competitive.

According to Douglas Johnson, who has worked at the Kentucky Truck Plant for 10 years, “The contract looks quite good actually.  It’s not as bad as we thought it would be, and it’s livable.  It’s something we can live with.”

The deal turns over retiree health care and pension liabilities to the union; Ford’s savings go into new investments, like flex body shops at both Louisville plants.  It also includes some job security, but new workers will get paid much less.  The Local UAW President, Rocky Comito, says it’s about survival.

“Trying to make sure that Ford is existing in the future, having a fair contract for the member.”

Some members, like Kevin Shook, find the deal unfair. 

“This isn’t fair to anybody, let alone the UAW workers who’ve worked and worked.”  Shook says the UAW is surrendering years of hard fought gains, and after 19 years with Ford, he says this contract throw him under the bus.

“Now everybody in America that has a job, how would they like it if their company first thing tomorrow morning said, ‘we’re going to replace you with somebody who’s fifteen dollars an hour less than you are making?’

Shook appears to be paying the price for his co-workers’ jobs. 

Job security is the main factor in Beverly Sewell and Latoya Wood’s YES votes.  They transferred here when the Atlanta Ford plant closed forever.