Detroit Free Press: Marick Masters on Ford, UAW contract negotiations

Contract negotiators for Ford Motor Co. and the UAW rewrote a passage in their tentative agreement  — while members are voting on the deal — that will increase pay for nearly 10,000 workers in an attempt to ensure ratification. The adjustment could cost Ford an extra $15 million or so over the four-year contract. Basically, the contract language change accommodates a calendar hiccup. Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University, said careful review of the tentative agreement is essential.

"It is taking a look at fine tuning the language of the agreement in which they fact check things for accuracy in order to determine if  there are any possible mistakes. They go back and forth on this," he said. "This really is an extension of the collective bargaining process. They're doing due diligence. A willingness to correct mistakes will often depend on the relationship they have with each other."

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