What’s next in UAW ratification process after Big 3 reach deals with union

Automotive industry working to recover following UAW strikes

"It’s tough to bring plants back up," said Glenn Stevens with the Detroit Regional Chamber. "You got labor, you’ve got equipment that needs to be restarted but the one thing about this industry is it’s very flexible and it’s very nimble."

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Big Three automakers are inching closer to having new contract agreements with the UAW implemented.

Ford was the first to reach a tentative deal with the union, followed by Stellantis and General Motors. The deals from GM, Ford, and Stellantis all nearly mirror one another.

Read more about the deals:

As the automakers reached tentative deals, the union suspended its strikes and pulled workers off the picket lines while the deals go through a process to get them approved.

That process includes being reviewed by a UAW National Council that votes to send the agreement to the membership. Once the council votes, members attend informational sessions to learn about the agreements before voting to ratify them.

UAW members who work at Ford are preparing to vote on their deal after the UAW National Ford Council voted to send it to the membership.

The UAW National Stellantis Council will meet in Detroit on Thursday to vote on that deal, while the UAW National GM Council will do the same Friday.

If the councils vote to send the deals to members, union leadership will hold a Facebook Live that same evening to go over the highlights of the contracts.

If union members do not approve the contracts, the strike will continue as automakers and the UAW head back to the bargaining table.