Of course because GM did all the heavy lifting so Bill Ford doesn't have to fight with the UAW when negotiations are already worked out with GM that FoMoCo mostly emulates every time, just has to dress the wounds of the UAW execs.

I just read that Ford has never really been in a real union strike situation with GM being the big brother always going into the cauldrons of hell first.   

5 hours ago, USA-1 said:

Of course because GM did all the heavy lifting so Bill Ford doesn't have to fight with the UAW when negotiations are already worked out with GM that FoMoCo mostly emulates every time, just has to dress the wounds of the UAW execs.

I just read that Ford has never really been in a real union strike situation with GM being the big brother always going into the cauldrons of hell first.   

I heard that Henry Ford had a thug right hand man by the name of Bennett that  beat up UAW worker members at one time.

And that Henry Ford was nearly arrested for that thuggery or something like that...

I dont think its fair that you call out FoMoCo that way.  Dearborn does have a rough history with the UAW....

Bennett was a real roughneck, and 'crossed the line' with both picketing union members (and non-striking employees).
Pretty sure HF was never threatened with charges for it tho; he was a borderline American hero, after all.

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

Bennett was a real roughneck, and 'crossed the line' with both picketing union members (and non-striking employees).
Pretty sure HF was never threatened with charges for it tho; he was a borderline American hero, after all.

When Henry Ford himself defeated ALAM in court and released the original Model T, he was a hero.  The early clashes with the UAW in the 1930s showed Ford's much more ruthless side.

As for these days, of course FoMoCo is following GM's lead this time.  The UAW wanted to make an example of GM so that Ford and FCA would quickly comply with their often excessive demands.

Tho Bennett was HF's 'right hand man', he had nearly unilateral autonomy. Sure HF knew about it -and although this is a minor point- he seldom dictated Bennett's actions beforehand.
HF hated unions and the control they potentially exerted over his company, and as the highest paying automaker anywhere he had some justification to deem them unnecessary. FoMoCo didn't sign an agreement with the UAW until 5 years after GM did.

20 hours ago, balthazar said:

Bennett was a real roughneck, and 'crossed the line' with both picketing union members (and non-striking employees).
Pretty sure HF was never threatened with charges for it tho; he was a borderline American hero, after all.

I read somwheres that the law interfered one time when there was a riot and either Bennett or a Ford family member nearly got charges brought up on them. 

Or maybe I confused that news with another.  Anyway, thanx for the info. 

PS: 

That would be the smart thing to do...let the cross town losers deal with it to lose time, production and money and you simply dial it in...

I only wished Ford would not botch up their important vehicle launches...