Claycomo, Missouri, Ford plant adding third shift, more jobs for Ford Transit
More than a thousand new union jobs are coming to the Kansas City area as part of a massive $95 million investment announced Thursday by the Ford Motor Co. As part of the company’s strategy to roll out more electronic vehicles and strengthen its Ford Blue portfolio, officials announced more than 6,200 new UAW jobs in the Midwest, with the Kansas City-area operation getting an entirely new shift of workers. Officials said the company is adding 1,100 new jobs at the Kansas City Assembly Plant to increase production of the Transit commercial van, and the new E-Transit electric vehicle. “The security any time the company’s making an investment in your facility its good for the membership in the long term,” said UAW Local 249 President Jason Starr.He says morale is high following Ford’s announcement. “Absolutely, it’s something we can all be proud of,” Starr said. “As UAW members, these are the things that we have the ability to do is directly impact our working conditions, define economic standards.”“We’re making a commitment to our employees because they have made the commitment to us,” said John Savona, Ford’s Vice President of Americas Manufacturing and Labor Affairs. “Those women and men on the front lines continue to deliver for us, and we want to continue to demonstrate our commitment to them as employees.”That’s why he says workers will also enjoy benefits, including a pay raise for new permanent employees and immediate healthcare benefits for new hourly workers. It’s a welcome boost after supply chain issues and semiconductor shortages temporarily shut down the Claycomo plant earlier this year.“We are seeing things improve,” Savona said. “Which is why we’re doubling down on the investment, the jobs we’re going to add. Because we anticipate we’re gonna get past that.”The investment comes as demand rises for both gas and electric-powered transit vans.“Regardless of which way the industry goes, we’re positioned really well here to make sure that these good jobs that keep our community at the level that everybody enjoys are gonna be here for a long time,” said Starr.For employees, it’s a sign their hard work is paying off.“It’s a direct correlation between what we do, how well we do it and that they have faith that we’re gonna continue to do that work at a high level,” said Starr. “Ford is America’s number 1 employer of hourly autoworkers, and this investment only deepens our commitment to building great new vehicles – from an all-new Mustang to new EVs – right here in the U.S. in partnership with the UAW,” said Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford, in a statement released Thursday. “I am proud that we are investing in the Midwest and taking real action to provide better benefits and working conditions for our workers on the plant floor.”The announcement is part of a $3.7 billion investment by Ford across the Midwest bolstering its plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri. In all, Ford plans to create about 6,200 new union manufacturing jobs with this expansion, and 74,000 indirect jobs in America by the end of 2026. Ford currently employs more than 7,000 people at the Kansas City…
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