UAW is skeptical of Ford plan to build new vehicle in Mexico, not Ohio

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union criticized Ford Motor’s plan involving the building of a new vehicle in Mexico rather than a plant in Ohio, suggesting it might be in violation of the contractual commitments.

In a letter made public on Tuesday, UAW Vice President Gerald Kariem said the automaker intends to build a next-generation vehicle in Mexico.

“We 100% reject the company’s decision to put corporate greed and more potential profits over American jobs and the future of our members. We expect the company to honor its contractual commitments to this membership and when it fails to do so we will take action,” Kariem wrote in the UAW letter.

“We are intensely exploring our options at this time,” he added.

The UAW said the automaker in 2019 as part of its four-year contract agreement had committed $900 million for the plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, which included a next-generation product to be added in 2023, which the letter said would secure the plant’s employment well into the future.

Ford released a statement on Tuesday that did not directly address the UAW’s criticism but said in a letter to workers on Monday that conditions had changed since 2019.

A company spokeswoman said Ford had invested over $185 million since 2019 at its Ohio Assembly Plant, including plans to boost capacity to build additional Super Duty trucks. The plant has about 1,600 UAW-represented workers.