The United Auto Workers union announced Wednesday that its nearly four-week strike against the “Big Three” automakers would be expanded to include Ford’s truck plant in Kentucky.
About 8,700 union members work at the Louisville plant, producing the company’s Super Duty trucks and the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs.
Wednesday’s strike marks the first time during the strike that the union has targeted the production of large pickup trucks, a big moneymaker for Ford as well as General Motors and Stellantis, which owns the Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands.
“We were clear and waited long enough, but Ford didn’t get the message,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement. “It’s time for a fair contract with Ford and the rest of the Big Three. If they can’t understand that after four weeks, the 8,700 workers closing this hugely profitable plant will help them understand it.”
Ford called the decision to strike the Kentucky plant “grossly irresponsible, but not surprising.” The company said it had made an “excellent offer” to the union to end the strike.
“This work stoppage will not only affect approximately 9,000 direct employees at the plant, but will also create painful aftershocks – including endangering approximately a dozen additional Ford operations and many more supplier operations,” the company said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.