Catherwood LibraryILR School

Less than a week after following up a tentative contract agreement with General Motors with the announcement that it would target the Ford Motor Company for the second settlement in its recent negotiations with the big three automakers (see WIT for Sep.24, 2002), the Canadian Auto Workers have triumphed again. In the worst financial position of the big three, and widely considered the CAW?s biggest challenge in the current round of negotiations, Ford agreed to an eight percent raise over three years, a $630 signing bonus for all CAW represented employees rather than face a crippling strike. Most importantly to the union leadership and members, is the inclusion in the contract agreement of generous early retirement packages and the guaranteed creation of 900 new jobs at a minivan plant, that will almost ensure that the planned closing of a pickup truck plant will not result in any layoffs.