UAW says workers vote to ratify contracts

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union said Monday that 64 per cent of workers at the Detroit Three automakers voted to ratify new contracts. The votes lock in the UAW’S tentative agreements with the automakers through April 2028, which include a 25 per cent increase in base wages and will cumulatively raise the top wage by 33 per cent, compounded with estimated cost-of-living adjustments to more than $42 an hour. The ratification is a relief for the automakers after the strike halted production at various plants across the U.S. A rejection could have led to new strikes and pressure from UAW leaders for more costly contracts. Despite the opposition from workers at some major facilities, UAW members voted to ratify the contract by a near two-third margin.