CLAYCOMO, Mo. - A strike vote is underway at the
UAW Local 249 Hall Thursday and it is set to pick up again Saturday.
The main issue: Ford Claycomo workers say they have reached their limit. Some say their workload has increased as much as 30 percent. Others say they are doing the job of two, even three people.
Many say their hours have been cut and the added stress is affecting their physical and mental health.
A worker who transferred from a plant in Nashville says she's dropped nine clothing sizes since January and has developed arthritis.
Workers also say their grievances over safety issues and constant shift changes are getting ignored by Ford. A Ford spokesperson says they address all grievances but there is a process behind it all that can take time.
Many workers who voted early Thursday morning say they cast their ballot in favor of the strike. Their hope is it will serve as a wake-up call to Ford and ultimately give employees better working conditions.
Some 20-year veterans say they haven't ever seen morale this bad inside the Claycomo plant.
A spokeswoman from Ford says national executives and national union leaders are meeting in Kansas City this week to discuss the workload issue. No word what will come out of those talks and when any news on the discussions will be released.
She says 99.9% of the time, workers vote on a strike but a deal is reached before work is actually brought to a halt.
UAW Local 249 President Jeff Wright says the issue of workload comes up every year. He calls the strike vote a formality and is convinced it will be averted. He said the last time the Claycomo Plant went on strike was in 1976.
The Claycomo plant employs just under 4,000 workers. They build the Escape and the F-150.
Two weeks ago, more than 90-percent of Claycomo workers voted against a new contract. It included a series of concessions that they weren't happy with. No word on when contract negotiations will start up again. Ford says the contract has nothing to do with the strike vote happening this week.
In October, Ford announced a $1 billion profit in its third quarter. The automaker was the only one of the big three that didn't file for Chapter 11.
