Union letter: Ford will not build new product in Ohio Assembly Plant

AVON LAKE — Ford reportedly no longer plans on building a new product at the Ohio Assembly Plant in Lorain County, according to a letter to workers written by a United Auto Workers union official. As part of the collective bargaining agreement between the union and the automaker in 2019, Ford had agreed to a $900 million investment that would include a new product at the Ohio Assembly Plant rolling out in 2023, according to the letter from Gerald Kariem, UAW vice president and director of the National Ford Department. In his letter, dated March 12 and addressed to the UAW Local 2000 chapter in Sheffield, Kariem wrote that the commitments in the collective bargaining agreement were great for the region and for workers — if the company followed through. "Unfortunately, Ford Motor Company has decided it will not honor its promise to add a new product to (the Ohio Assembly Plant) and, instead, it intends to build the next-generation vehicle in Mexico," Kariem wrote. All told, local officials previously anticipated Ford's investment to bring about 1,500 new jobs to the area — or more. The Ohio Assembly Plant currently employs about 1,740 workers and produces F-650 and 750 Medium Duty trucks, the F-350, F-450 and F-550 Super Duty chassis cab, the E-Series cutaway and stripped chassis. The mayors of Avon Lake, Sheffield and Sheffield Lake said they were aware of the situation Monday. The plant's footprint stretches into parts of all three communities. Avon Lake Mayor Greg Zilka said he spoke with a government relations specialist from Ford on Monday afternoon, and she confirmed to him that a new product was no longer planned for the Ohio Assembly Plant. "Obviously, we are very disappointed," Zilka said. He said he is hopeful Ford can be persuaded to reconsider, and he committed to giving the effort "a fighting chance." Zilka said the government relations specialist did tell him that current production will increase at the facility despite the lack of a new product. "That could mean more jobs here, but not the large number that we anticipated," he said. A message seeking comment was left with the UAW Local 2000 office for President Bill Samples. A public relations director for the UAW confirmed the authenticity of Kariem's letter but did not offer further comment. Asked for comment on Kariem's statement that Ford would not add a new product to the Ohio Assembly Plant and build a next-generation vehicle in Mexico, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker provided a statement that the company remains invested in the Ohio Assembly Plant and its workforce. "We are increasing our capacity to build additional Super Duty trucks at Ohio Assembly Plant this year to meet strong consumer demand," Felker wrote. Kariem wrote in his letter that the union was "intensely exploring our options at this time" for how to proceed, after data requests for the company to explain the basis of its decision were returned with "strategically limited information." A separate letter from UAW Local 2000 to workers Monday stated that the chapter expects "all measures be exhausted in order to correct this decision made by the company." "In whole, (the Ohio Assembly Plant) voted and ratified the contract in 2019 … because the content of that contract had huge implications for our plant, our communities and the state of Ohio," the letter stated. "We agreed to a contract that brought growth and renewed vitality to our plant. Contracts are full of agreements that are meant to be adhered to … by both sides. One side doesn't get to exclude pieces that don't fit … after the fact." Ford and the UAW will certainly be in conversation over the matter because it is a contractual issue, said Sheffield Mayor John Hunter. "We will have to wait and see the outcome," he said. The lack of a new product was not good news to Sheffield Lake Mayor Dennis Bring, but he said he was told the plant remains stable and its larger trucks continue selling well, regardless of whether Ford chooses to enlarge the plant in the future. "I hope they do, but that is up to Ford. That is not up to us," he said. "We will wait for their information. They are very tight-lipped about everything, and they should be, because it affects a tremendous amount of people. I'm sure they aren't going to say anything unless they have 100 percent confirmation on it." Zilka said businesses in the Ford supply chain had inquired about empty buildings in Avon Lake since the contract was reached with the UAW, leading officials to believe the automaker's plans for a new product were moving along. Finding out otherwise was "a big shock," he said. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.