THE United Auto Workers (UAW) union said on Wednesday that it has reached a tentative contract agreement with Ford that could be a breakthrough toward ending the nearly six-week strikes against the country’s “Big Three” car makers.

The four-year deal, which still has to be approved by 57,000 union members at the company, could bring a close to the union’s series of strikes at targeted factories run by Ford, General Motors and Jeep-maker Stellantis.

The Ford deal could set the pattern for agreements with the other two auto makers, where workers will remain on strike.

The UAW called on all workers at Ford to return to their jobs and said that will put pressure on GM and Stellantis to bargain. 

Union president Shawn Fain said in a video address to UAW members: “We told Ford to pony up, and they did.

“We won things no-one thought possible.”

He said that Ford put 50 per cent more money on the table than it did before the strike started on September 15.

UAW vice-president Chuck Browning, the chief negotiator with Ford, said that workers will get a 25 per cent general wage increase, plus cost-of-living raises that will put the pay increase over 30 per cent, to above $40 (£33) per hour for top-scale assembly plant workers by the end of the contract.

Previously Ford, Stellantis and General Motors had all offered 23 per cent pay increases. When the talks started, Ford offered 9 per cent.

Assembly workers will get 11 per cent upon ratification of the deal, almost equal to all of the wage increases workers have seen since 2007, Mr Browning said.

GM said in a statement it is “working constructively” with the union to reach an agreement as soon as possible. Stellantis also said that it’s committed to reaching a deal “that gets everyone back to work as soon as possible.”

Mr Browning said that temporary workers will get more in wage increases than they have over the past 22 years combined. Temporary workers will get raises over 150 per cent and retirees will get annual bonuses, he said.

UAW member Keith Jurgelewicz said he was “super excited that this is over with. I just can’t wait to get back to work and just get on with my life.”

Mr Jurgelewicz said he was happy that the end of the strike came during his shift on the picket lines.