UAW threatens to strike Ford truck plant in Kentucky if local issues aren't resolved

DETROIT — The United Auto Workers is threatening a labor strike at Ford Motor's largest U.S. plant if local union demands aren't resolved by next week.

The Detroit union on Friday said nearly 9,000 UAW autoworkers at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant could strike at 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 23 if local contract issues remain. The plant — Ford's largest in terms of employment and revenue — produces Ford Super Duty pickups as well as Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigator SUVs.

Local contracts differ from the national agreements that the union ratified in late 2023 with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler parent Stellantis. They deal with plant-specific issues and can many times go unresolved for months, if not years, after the national deals are ratified.

The union said "core issues in Kentucky Truck Plant's local negotiations are health and safety in the plant, including minimum in-plant nurse staffing levels and ergonomic issues, as well as Ford's continued attempts to erode the skilled trades at Kentucky Truck Plant."

It was not immediately clear why the union set the strike deadline at the Ford plant and not others. There are 19 other open local agreements across Ford, along with several open local agreements at GM and Stellantis. 

A representative of Ford, which has prided itself on its relationship with the UAW, did not immediately comment on the union's announcement.

The strike deadline comes a day after UAW President Shawn Fain criticized Ford CEO Jim Farley over comments he made indicating the automaker will "think carefully" about where it builds future vehicles in light of changing market conditions and contentious negotiations last year with the union, which included six weeks of targeted strikes.

Farley specifically mentioned