DETROIT — United Auto Workers members narrowly passed a four-year contract agreement with Chrysler LLC on Saturday, leaving Ford Motor Co. as the last automaker to negotiate with in this year’s round of contract talks.
Talks with Ford were proceeding Saturday, although no agreement was expected during the weekend, a person briefed on the talks said on condition of anonymity.
The union said 56 percent of production workers and 51 percent of skilled-trades workers voted for the Chrysler pact. The percentages voting in favor were higher among clerical workers and engineers represented by the union.
Like the agreement ratified earlier by General Motors Corp. workers, the Chrysler contract establishes a union-run trust to cover retirees’ health care and lets the company pay lower wages to about 11,000 noncore, non-assembly workers.
At GM, 66 percent of workers ratified the deal. But at Chrysler, many workers were angered by the contract, saying it failed to make as many guarantees for future work as GM’s contract.
