DETROIT (WXYZ) - United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger is taking the blame for the failure of the concessions deal at Ford.
The agreement's defeat could put Ford at a competitive disadvantage as it fights for a comeback.
"I think it was poor messaging on our part," said Gettelfinger. "I have to accept responsibility for that."
Gettelfinger says he should have been a better salesman. If workers approved the new contract it would have put them on par with the deal at GM and Chrysler, freezing entry level wages and restricting the union's ability to strike.
So what drove workers to vote no? Gettelfinger says he can't get in the minds of workers, but some analysts believe a flood of good press for Ford combined with strong sales likely had a huge impact. There's also the idea of concession fatigue.
"Going back to '03 we had a contract with concessions, made more concessions in '05, and more concessions '08," Gettelfinger said.
He also points out that it was just March when workers approved even more concessions. Still, without this new deal there is concern Ford will punish the UAW and send product out of the country, possibly to Canada or Mexico.
"The relationship that we have with Ford is right at the top when it comes to the industry," said Gettelfinger. "They do have commitments that they made. We were looking for some longer term commitments."
While this current deal is dead, talks are always going on behind the scenes.
