UAW, Ford Arbitrate Restored 2010 Merit Pay For Salaried Employees?

Ford and the UAW appeared before an arbitrator on Thursday and Friday to present their arguments over a grievance signed by nearly 35,000 UAW members.

The UAW argues that Ford violated its labor agreement in 2010 when it restored merit pay increases for salaried workers without similar pay increases for hourly workers.

Union negotiators and the company tried to solve the issue as part of a new four-year labor agreement ratified by UAW members on Oct. 19 but decided to go forward with arbitration.

“We … remain confident that our legal team has, and will continue to present a strong case on the merits of the grievance,” the UAW Ford Department said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

A decision by the arbitrator is expected within 30 to 60 days. Ford and the UAW declined to comment on the hearings on Friday.