Ford Motor Company already has fulfilled its commitment to the UAW to create 12,000 U.S. hourly jobs by 2015, today announcing 1,200 new jobs and a second shift at its Kansas City Assembly Plant, where the new Ford Transit is built.
“The job growth we have created in U.S. manufacturing is a testament to our strong partnership with the UAW, the union’s competitiveness, and the growing demand for Ford’s portfolio of cars, utilities and trucks,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, The Americas. “Adding a second shift to Kansas City Assembly Plant adds more jobs to this community, and it also helps deliver more Transit vehicles to more customers throughout North America.”
The 1,200 new jobs are in addition to the 2,800 jobs added at Kansas City Assembly Plant in 2012 and 2013 to support the 2015 Transit launch and increased production of Ford F-150. Since the 2011 UAW-Ford contract negotiations, Ford has added jobs across its other U.S. manufacturing plants as well, for a total of 14,000 jobs. Facilities where Ford added jobs include:
- 3,600 at Louisville Assembly Plant
- 1,800 at Michigan Assembly Plant
- 1,700 at Flat Rock Assembly Plant
- 1,600 at Chicago Assembly Plant
- 600 at Kentucky Truck Plant
- 450 at Cleveland Engine Plant
- 240 at Van Dyke Transmission Plant
- 230 at Chicago Stamping Plant
“I am very pleased we are able to add 1,200 new jobs to the Kansas City Assembly Plant, which will strengthen this community and continue our efforts to grow good-paying,middle-class manufacturing jobs,” said Jimmy Settles, UAW vice president, National Ford Department. “This is possible because of the collective bargaining process and the partnership between UAW and Ford.”
Investment in Next-generation Manufacturing
In addition to Transit, Kansas City Assembly Plant produces F-150 Regular Cab, SuperCab and SuperCrew pickups. The plant will employ more than 6,000 hourly workers by the end of 2014, on a two-shift pattern for Transit production and three-crew pattern for F-150.
Ford invested $1.1 billion in 2011 to retool and expand the facility for Transit production and to support surging customer demand for F-150. Expansion projects include the addition of a 437,000-square-foot stamping facility and a 78,000-square-foot paint shop.
The investment also supports production of the all-new Ford F-150 in early 2015, after the truck launches at Dearborn Truck Plant later this year.
