Ypsi: Auto Industry

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Ford Motor Co. plans to hire 27% more UAW workers for its U.S. plants than originally anticipated, according to a Bloomberg report – including more union workers at its Rawsonville plant in Ypsilanti Township. The company had previously agreed to employ 1,559 UAW workers to replace work traditionally done by suppliers, but has now added an extra 416 jobs. Ford attributes the increase to flexible labor contracts, which allowed the company to hire union members at a lower wage. Gov. Jennifer Granholm says of the auto industry, “We can’t claim victory yet, but I’m really pleased we’ve started to emerge from a very, very difficult period of time.” [Source]