DETROIT – Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley rebuffed feedback by United Auto Employees President Shawn Fain that the corporate shouldn’t be taking bargaining severely forward of a Thursday night time strike deadline, inserting blame on the union chief for not displaying as much as the bargaining desk – each figuratively and actually.

Farley stated the corporate has obtained “no real counteroffer” on its 4 financial proposals, together with the most recent supply that Ford is asking probably the most beneficiant supply ever between the UAW and firm. He additionally stated Fain, who’s concurrently negotiating with Basic Motors and Stellantis, was absent throughout a Tuesday assembly that he and Ford Chair Invoice Ford anticipated Fain to attend.

“We’re right here, we’re prepared to barter, nevertheless it’s positive onerous to barter a contract when there isn’t any one to barter with,” Farley advised reporters Wednesday night time on the sidelines of the Detroit Auto Present. “We’ve got time left, nevertheless it’s onerous to barter when you aren’t getting any suggestions again.”

Farley’s feedback got here roughly 24 hours after he advised reporters Tuesday that he was optimistic the corporate might attain a take care of the union.

Public criticism between the union and an automaker aren’t unprecedented however the quantity of element being launched, introduced strike plans and simultaneous bargaining actually are.

Farley stated he did not know Fain had obtained the supply till he was discussing it throughout a 5 p.m. Fb Dwell with union members. He additionally questioned whether or not Fain is just too busy already “planning strikes or PR occasions that we will not get the suggestions to make one of the best supply.”

A UAW spokesman didn’t instantly reply for remark concerning Farley’s feedback or a letter launched on his behalf by the corporate countering lots of Fain’s criticisms.

The union has argued the businesses know their calls for. They embrace: bold targets of 40% hourly pay will increase, a diminished 32-hour workweek, a shift again to conventional pensions, the elimination of compensation tiers and a restoration of cost-of-living changes, amongst different gadgets.

Farley declined to instantly reply a query about whether or not he believes the union is bargaining in good religion, which might justify a grievance with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board.

The UAW late final month filed unfair labor follow prices in opposition to GM and Stellantis to the NLRB for not bargaining with the union in good religion or a well timed method. It didn’t file a grievance in opposition to Ford.

As launched Thursday by the union, Ford’s most up-to-date proposal included a few of the union’s calls for, however not all of them. It included 20% wage will increase; a “poor” restoration of cost-of-living adjustment, reworked profit-sharing formulation; 90-day development for “temp,” or supplemental, staff to turn out to be common workers; and different advantages resembling elevated trip days and two-week paid parental go away.

Fain stated Ford and its crosstown rivals rejected the union’s retiree and health-care proposals.

If the UAW and firms can’t attain a deal by an 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday deadline, Fain stated the union will implement focused strikes at sure crops in opposition to the Detroit automakers.

Throughout his Fb occasion, Fain stated he believed strikes in opposition to the businesses are “probably.”

“To win, we’re probably going to must take motion. Simply as we’ve got approached our negotiations in a different way than we’ve got previously, we’re making ready to strike these firms in a method they’ve by no means seen earlier than,” Fain stated.

Right here is the complete textual content of Farley’s letter following Fain’s remarks: