Union OKs labor deal at Ford's Claycomo plant

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Kansas City Biz Journals

Members of United Auto Workers Local 249 on Sunday voted 69 percent to 31 percent in favor of a four-year labor agreement at Ford Motor Co.'s Claycomo plant.

The agreement provides better job security and continued product sourcing for the F-150 truck and three SUV models built at the plant, Jim Stoufer, president of Local 249, said Monday. The agreement also will provide a new variable-platform body shop to build next-generation SUVs on one assembly line, Stoufer said. No timetable was established for that.

"We maintained our health care with a small increase in co-pays," he said. The agreement protects seniority rights better than other auto manufacturers' agreements, he said, and includes a freeze on outsourcing jobs.

The union doesn't disclose the number of votes cast, but Stoufer said the turnout was better than that for the most recent agreement, in 2003.

Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2007/11/12/daily6.html