Fiat Chrysler and UAW contingent deal aborts strike

When employees are not satisfied with their benefits and how they are being managed, expect that delivery work is unsatisfactory. Worst is they will go on strike if their demands are not granted.

An impending strike has been prevented after Fiat Chrysler management and the United Auto Workers come up with an agreement Thursday night. The revised deal with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV secures "significant gains" for its members aborting strike that would have stopped production at U.S. plants and sent thousands of workers picketing, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Although UAW didn't offer any further details regarding the proposed deal, UAW President Dennis Williams said in a statement that the new accord "addresses our members' principal concerns about their jobs and their futures." The discussion between the union and company management went until the last moment Wednesday night, expecting to secure a new agreement before the contract ended at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

"We've made real gains and I look forward to a full discussion of the terms with our members," Mr. Williams said.

On Friday, Local UAW leaders will have an assembly in Detroit to hear the details of the agreement and reiterate it with members shortly after. The car company's 40,000 union-represented workers will have to vote again to finalize the agreement.

According to the union, details of the deal will be made available after the Friday meeting that could go a long way to avoiding misinformation among members as to the terms, which was an aspect in scrapping the previous agreement the union reached Sept. 15 which workers rejected, Detroit Free Press reported.

"FCA US confirms that it has reached a new tentative agreement with the UAW," the company said in a statement. "Because the agreement is subject to UAW member ratification, the company cannot discuss the specifics of the agreement pending a vote by UAW members."

If workers left their jobs, a short strike would have affected minimal financial pain on workers and have little impact on the company with dealers of robust stocks of best-selling models, including a couple exceptions. However, the equation would have shifted in a fast pace after a couple of weeks as lost sales and missing paychecks would put pressure on both sides, according to several experts.

The existing four-year pact with FCA reached in 2011 was set to end on Sept. 14 but was extended as both parties negotiated a proposal for a new four-year deal on Sept. 15. The agreement was taken to union members who resonantly shut it down where 65% voted 'No'.

The UAW will stick with Fiat Chrysler to negotiate a new contract to set a new pattern rather than moving to Ford or General Motors. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne has been involved in the talk even though he is not present.