Fiat Chrysler, UAW Reach Tentative Agreement

Labor peace appears to be near for workers at the Belvidere Chrysler assembly plant.

According to the Register Star, Fiat Chrysler has reached a tentative national agreement with the United Auto Workers union. There still is a three-step process remaining before the deal would go to ratification by the members. The announcement prevented a potential work stoppage by the union:

Details of the contract were not available. The UAW announced Sunday that it had picked Fiat Chrysler as its target company in the contract talks. That means a deal with Fiat could set a general pattern for contract talks with the other major auto manufacturers in the country.

The tentative agreement reached Tuesday came a day after the union's contract expired. The UAW began negotiating with Fiat Chrysler, GM and Ford in July. In August, UAW chapters in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio authorized a strike if contract negotiations with Detroit's Big Three automakers broke down.

The Register Star could not reach the local UAW president for comment. The assembly plant in Belvidere employs about 4,500 people.