LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The United Auto Workers union members of Lima gathered to make their voices heard by the industry. Employees of Lima's Ford plant held a rally Saturday afternoon to show solidarity during the ongoing contract negotiations. Lima Mayor, Sharetta Smith also took the podium to voice her support for collective bargaining and workers' rights.
Union leaders say auto companies like Ford are seeing record profits, and that should be reflected in employee wages, benefits, and retiree compensation. If an agreement is not reached by Sept. 14th, a strike is possible, but right now, Ford management and the UAW are working together.
"I talked to Vice President Browning last night and he said Ford is bringing proposals to the table. Look, they go back and forth and back and forth. I think we've got a better chance of getting an agreement with Ford right now than we do GM and Chrysler. But baby steps, we've still got 12 days until these agreements expire, so we're doing everything we can with the companies and trying to get a deal that's going to be fair for our members," explained David Green, UAW Region 2B director.
The UAW is currently negotiating new 4-year contracts with all three major auto companies - Ford, GM, and Stellantis. All have until the 14th to reach a decision.
