Union workers at Stellantis move closer to approving contract that would end lengthy labor dispute

DETROIT (AP) — Members of the United Auto Workers union moved closer to approving a contract agreement with Stellantis on Friday as two large factories in Detroit voted overwhelmingly in favor of the deal.

A vote-tracking spreadsheet posted on the union’s website showed that 68.4% were in favor of ratification, and the contract was leading by more than 9,600 votes with only three facilities yet to cast ballots.

Voting at Jeep and Ram vehicle maker Stellantis doesn’t officially end until Tuesday. Workers at crosstown rival Ford, where 66.8% were in favor of the deal with only one large factory uncounted, are to finish early Saturday.

If the deals are approved, workers at Ford and Stellatis would join counterparts at General Motors in ratifying the record contracts, ending a contentious labor dispute that brought a punishing series of strikes over six weeks. GM workers narrowly approved their four year and eight month contract on Thursday.

At Stellantis, workers at the large Jefferson North factory that makes Jeep Grand Cherokees voted 70.7% in favor of the agreement. Nearby, workers at the Detroit Mack Assembly Complex who make the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs voted 78.3% in favor.