UAW-FCA close to tentative deal that would include $9,000 signing bonus, source says

The UAW and Fiat Chrysler negotiators are close to announcing a proposed tentative agreement that is expected to include a $9,000 ratification bonus, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Detroit Free Press on Friday.

Details of the four-year labor contract are expected to be ready for final review on Saturday, and details are beginning to emerge slowly.

UAW and Fiat Chrysler leaders began the final stages of their talks Monday, having working past 3 a.m. during the holiday week. The talks are taking place in Detroit at the old Conner Avenue Viper Plant. The teams did take Thanksgiving off, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed.

In addition to a signing bonus that matches the one given to Ford workers, FCA is not expected to close any assembly plants. The company has been vocal about expanding operations to accommodate demand for its wildly popular Jeep franchise.

Ford gave $9,000 while GM gave its workers $11,000 to sign the deal and end a six-week strike and get back to work. 

A source with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed that FCA wants to avoid drama and will likely do so by putting its in-progression workers on a faster path to higher wages. While moving in-progression workers is part of the overall pattern with all three automakers, FCA has 64% of its UAW members in-progression. If the pattern proves true, FCA workers would reach top pay scale by the end of the four year contract.

This adjustment would come at a significant cost to FCA but a cost they acknowledge privately may be necessary for ratification.

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Brian Rothenberg, spokesman for the UAW, declined to comment. Cindy Estrada, the lead negotiator for the UAW, has indicated in recent weeks that these talks are challenging and promising.

Fiat-Chrysler has faced intense pressure during this contract negotiation as workers have said they would strike if they felt they were offered an unfair deal. Many UAW workers have have said they worried about the integrity of their 2015 contract process, which has been the subject of a General Motors racketeering lawsuit against FCA and the focus of a massive federal corruption probe.

The UAW-FCA contract deal will impact 49,248 hourly and salaried workers, according to the UAW.

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-222-6512 orphoward@freepress.com.Follow her on Twitter@phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.