http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-867483.mp3
Kansas City, MO – Union workers at the Ford Claycomo Assembly Plant have soundly rejected contract change concessions and the Sunday vote has national implications.
According to UAW local 249 officials, eight percent of rank and file voted in favor of concessions, soundly rejecting company proposals.
Ford wanted the changes to cut labor costs to put them on par with Chrysler and General Motors.
Local president Jeff Wright said the union had been asked to give up it's right to strike over benefits and wages. And there were other issues: job jurisdiction, the merging of trades within the plant, and hiring of entry level jobs at half the regular pay rate and as many of those as the company chose to hire.
Ford had no comment on contract issues.
Wright said the 'no strike' clause would have been in effect until year 2015 and union members rejected all proposals by a 92 percent vote.
Other Ford plants around the country will be voting on the contract plan in coming weeks. A similar set of concessions was approved earlier by workers at GM and Chrysler.
