Ford says it will build the large Edge utility vehicle for global markets at its Oakville Assembly plant near Toronto and export it to more than 60 countries. In the dreary language of the nagging jobless recovery in North America, no new jobs will be added.
The announcement comes after the Canadian Auto Workers Union accepted its first two-tier wage contract during the 2012 labor negotiations. For the first time at Ford Canada under a “New Hire Grow-In program” fledgling union workers who replace retiring CAW members start at C$20.40, equal to 60% of the previous highest member $34 base rate. They only get full compensation after ten years.
The Obama Administration broke the power of the UAW in the U.S. as part of its required terms for financing bankruptcy reorganizations at Chrysler and General Motors in 2009. This allowed the hobbled UAW to survive, how to order valtrex online also on two-tier labor agreements. As a result, unionized costs in the U.S. are now lower than in Canada and at some Japanese North American plants.
Oakville Assembly manufactures Ford Edge and Ford Flex, as well as Lincoln MKX and Lincoln MKT.
The Ford Edge Concept that just debuted at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto had:
- Automatic parking technology allows for control from inside or outside the vehicle
- Obstacle avoidance that automatically steers around an object when the driver does not. If the driver fails to react, the system will automatically steer and brake to avoid a collision
In addition, Ford Edge Concept features fuel-saving technologies such as active grille shutters, auto start-stop and an air curtain, which manages airflow around the front wheels to enhance aerodynamic efficiency.
See – Ford CAW Approves First Four-Year Two-Tier Wage Contract
