The Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) - United Auto Workers members at Ford Motor Co. cast ballots nationwide Tuesday over whether to authorize their bargainers to call a strike should they be unable to reach agreement on a new national contract.
Such votes are routine every three years before negotiations intensify in September. The current contracts expire Sept. 14. Members usually vote overwhelmingly to grant their representatives the right to call a strike. Results of the vote were to be released Wednesday, UAW spokesman Paul Krell said.
About 101,000 union members at 43 locals across the country are eligible to vote.
Most of the voting was being conducted on Tuesday alone, which is unusual. Typically, the locals vote at their convenience over a longer period. UAW members at General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler are voting in that manner this week.
That has led to speculation that the UAW is trying to send a message to the No. 2 automaker over the possible spinoff of its Visteon Automotive Systems Corp. parts unit. The union opposes a spinoff of Visteon, which has about 28,500 UAW members.
The strike votes come as the union continues separate negotiations that began in June with the three automakers. Talks are expected to intensify around Labor Day.
AP-NY-08-17-99 1615EDT
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