Ford's Jim Farley Fires Back At UAW Leader As Strike Deadline Approaches: 'There's No One To Negotiate With'

As a potential strike deadline looms this Thursday, Ford Motor Company’s F CEO, Jim Farley, accused United Auto Workers (UAW) President, Shawn Fain of not being present during critical negotiations, CNBC reported.

He highlighted the absence of “any genuine counteroffer” to Ford’s four economic proposals, which the automaker has labeled its most generous offer ever to the UAW.

"We're here, we're ready to negotiate, but it's sure hard to negotiate a contract when there's no one to negotiate with," Farley told reporters during the Detroit Auto Show.

He added, "We have time left, but it's hard to negotiate when you don't get any feedback back."

Farley’s remarks came after he had expressed optimism on Tuesday about reaching an agreement with the union.

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The UAW has put forward several demands, including a 40% increase in hourly pay, a reduced 32-hour workweek, a return to traditional pensions, elimination of pay tiers, and restoration of cost-of-living adjustments. Ford’s latest proposal, according to the union, partially meets some of these demands but falls short in other areas.

If a deal is not reached by the strike deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, the UAW has threatened to implement targeted strikes at select plants against Detroit automakers.

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