By David Shepardson and Joseph White
(Reuters) -The United Auto Workers said on Wednesday that 8,700 union members at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant went on strike after the union said the No. 2 U.S. automaker refused to move further in contract bargaining.
The decision to strike the company's largest plant is a major escalation in the targeted strike of the Detroit Three automakers now in its fourth week. The plant generates $25 billion in annual revenue, about a sixth of the company's global automotive revenue.
For the past four weeks UAW President Shawn Fain has ordered new walkouts on Fridays in video addresses. Wednesday's move came with no prior warning and as Ford and UAW bargainers were working to resolve differences on retirement security and union representation of Ford's future battery plants, a Ford official said.
The Ford official said Shawn Fain and other UAW officials called a meeting with Ford at 5:30 pm ET on Wednesday and demanded a new offer. Ford officials did not have a new offer on pay and economic issues. "You just lost Kentucky Truck," Fain said, according to the Ford official.
Ford said the decision is "grossly irresponsible but unsurprising given the union leadership’s stated strategy of keeping the Detroit 3 wounded for months through 'reputational damage' and 'industrial chaos.'”
"It is a very profitable plant and because there was no notice at all, it will be particularly disruptive," said Harley Shaiken, labor professor at the University of California, Berkeley. "This ratchets up the pressure. It's definitely a turn in tone."
The UAW on Friday had held off on additional strikes against Detroit Three auto plants on Friday, citing General Motors' unexpected willingness to allow workers at joint-venture battery plants to be covered by union contracts.
Before Wednesday's Ford announcement the union had ordered walkouts at five assembly plants, including two Ford plants, at the three companies and 38 parts depots operated by GM and Chrysler-parent Stellantis.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese)
