LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Thousands of United Auto Workers members are threatening to walk off the job at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant if local contract issues are not resolved by next week.
According to a UAW news release issued Friday, nearly 9,000 workers at the Louisville facility will go on strike next Friday if Ford fails to address certain issues. UAW Vice President Chuck Browning has requested authorization from President Shawn Fain to set a deadline at KTP of 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 23.
"It's important for the membership to know that we've put (up) a perimeter, a hedge of security, protection around our membership," Todd Dunn, UAW Local 862 President, said.
This comes one day after Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company will "re-think" where it decides to make vehicles following last year's UAW strike.
Dunn would not speak on specific sticking points in negotiations during his interview with WHAS11 News.
"There's not many. And we're moving the needle. I think we're gonna close it out soon," he said. "I hope we do."
The release states the central issues in negotiations are health and safety inside the plant, including minimum "in-plant nurse staffing levels and ergonomic issues," plus the company's attempts to "erode the skilled trades" at the plant. KTP workers are represented by UAW Local 862.
Ford sent a statement to WHAS11 on Friday saying:
“Negotiations continue and we look forward to reaching an agreement with UAW Local 862 at Kentucky Truck Plant.”
Dunn said UAW negotiators have seen movement on Ford Motor Company's end since announcing the potential move Friday.
"(Friday) was a lot of movement," Dunn said. "The focus was to engage Ford Motor Company with that tool belt to get the negotiations completed."
Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant resolved its local agreement in January. KTP is one of 19 other Ford plants still working to resolve local agreements.
As one key part of that national uaw deal, Ford is offering $50-thousand dollar buyouts to older, skilled KTP and LAP workers. as of now, Dunn says about 750 workers across both plants are seeking a buyout.
"UAW Ford is on top of actually knowing what those numbers are. So I would, again, not deflect, but allow the collective bargaining to answer that question," Dunn said.
KTP was one of the first auto plants to walk off the job during the nationwide UAW strike in 2023. The plant is Ford's largest and most profitable, accounting for about $25 billion in annual revenue.
The 8,700 UAW-represented workers at the facility build the F-Series Super Duty, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator.
There are 13 plants interconnected with KTP. Facilities as far away as Buffalo and Chicago feed KTP, which then feeds Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant, and the Ohio Assembly Plant near Cleveland.
KTP was on strike for about two weeks during last year's nationwide UAW work stoppage.
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