The United Auto Workers union has issued a serious threat to go on strike at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant on February 23 if a dispute over the local contract is not resolved. The plant in Louisville, where nearly 9,000 workers are employed, is the largest and most profitable factory for the carmaker. The issues at hand include health and safety concerns, minimum in-plant nurse staffing, ergonomic problems, and the company's aim to reduce the number of skilled trades workers.

This potential strike comes after Ford CEO Jim Farley shared concerns over union activity impacting the company's decisions on where to allocate its production facilities. Farley noted that a previous strike at the same factory during national contract negotiations last year cost the company $1.7 billion over six weeks of lost production. This prompted Ford to rethink its relationship with the union and consider future production plant locations carefully.

The strike last year was a significant victory for UAW members, resulting in raises of up to $40 an hour and the elimination of "two-tier" wages for different-hired employees. According to Ford, these wins will lead to an extra cost of nearly $9 billion for the company, equating to about $900 more per vehicle. The UAW has indicated that if the issues at the Kentucky Truck Plant are not addressed, the strike will commence at 12:01 a.m. on February 23. Ford has not yet commented on the matter.