DETROIT (Reuters) – The United Auto Workers union said on Friday that rank-and-file members at Ford Motor Co (F.N) have voted in favor of a new four-year labor contract with the No. 2 U.S. automaker.
The UAW will now focus on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) (FCHA.MI) (FCAU.N), the sole remaining Detroit automaker without a new labor contract. Talks with FCA are expected to begin on Monday, a UAW spokesman said.
The union said 56.3% of Ford’s hourly workers voted to approve the deal, which allowed the company to avoid a strike like the one that cost its larger rival General Motors Co (GM.N) about $3 billion (£2.3 billion).
UAW leaders said earlier this month that Ford under the deal agreed to invest more than $6 billion in its U.S. plants, and to create or retain more than 8,500 UAW jobs
