Ford Brings Work Back In House
Ford says its bringing back about two thousand jobs that had been outsourced to suppliers. That's about twenty five per cent more jobs than the company had promised the UAW that it would bring back. Some of those jobs were being done in other countries.
"We're bringing jobs back to America," said Ford President of the Americas Mark Fields, speaking at the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City.
Ford says modern agreements with the UAW now make it cost competitive to do the work in house.
About two thirds of the jobs have already been brought back. Fields says 635 more jobs will be insourced to nine plants over the next two years. He says that number has grown larger.
Ford has been able to reduce the number of workers currently on layoff to the point where they have begun hiring again.
"We are in the process of hiring now in Chicago. We're adding the second shift for the Explorer that's coming in later this year," Fields told WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert. "We're in the process of hiring folks that will be coming to the company being paid the entry level wage."
Fields couldn't say whether Ford will need to do new hiring at any of its other plants.
According to a press release issued by the company, Ford will return work to the following plants:
• Sharonville (Ohio) Transmission Plant for 6F35 automatic transmission gear machining and solenoid body assembly
• Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., for moon roof sub-assembly, instrument panel assembly and part kitting for engine, doors and interior trim for the company's new Ford Focus, arriving in dealerships this winter
• Chicago Stamping Plant for a variety of stamped parts for the Lincoln MKS and Ford Taurus, as well as for next generation Ford Explorer
• Sterling Plant in Sterling Heights, Mich., for global production of the Rear Drive Unit for Ford's front-wheel drive products
• Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights for production of the 6F35 automatic transmission and HF35 electric drive transaxle. The work is currently performed by a supplier in Japan
• Rawsonville Plant in Ypsilanti, Mich., for battery pack assembly for next-generation hybrid-electric vehicles. The work is currently performed by a supplier in Mexico
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Ford's Mark Fields talks with reporters, including WWJ's Jeff Gilbert
