Ford increases car production with overtime

To meet the growing demand of Ford’s small sport-utility vehicles, the company plans to raise overtime work in order to increase production of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner.
“We are talking with the union to determine how to best handle the increase in sales demand,” Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari said.
According to United Auto Workers Local 249 President Jim Stoufer, the Union members at the Kansas City assembly plant in Clayco, Mo. are thinking about the possibility of increasing “the number of Saturdays employees are required to work overtime from six to 21 rather than add a third shift,” as reported by CNN money.

“We are selling more vehicles than we can build, which is a nice problem to have,” said Stoufer, whose local represents 4,300 plant workers. “We are also concerned about adding a third shift, having people move here and then cutting back if sales fall off.”

If the deal has been approved, it will only affect workers on the Escape and Mercury Mariner lines. This will also show how Ford and the UAW use the competitive operating agreements previously agreed upon.

Ford reportedly sold 122,360 Escapes through the end of October and 27,336 Mariner. Both figures saw at least a 5% increase if compared to last year’s data.

News from: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200711281653DOWJONESDJONLINE000947_FORTUNE5.htm