Autoworkers Reach Deal with Ford
DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union says it has reached a tentative contract agreement with Ford that could be a breakthrough to end the nearly 6-week-old strikes against Detroit automakers. The four-year deal still has to be approved by 57,000 union members at the company. It 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 automakers, although no other agreements were announced Wednesday.
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. Announcements on how to do that will come later. "We told Ford to pony up, and they did," President Shawn Fain said in a video address to members. "We won things no one thought possible." He added that Ford put 50% 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 workers will get a 25% general wage increase, plus cost of living raises that will put the pay increase over 30%, to above $40 per hour for top-scale assembly plant workers by the end of the contract. Previously Ford, Stellantis and General Motors had all offered 23% pay increases. When the talks started Ford offered 9%. Assembly workers will get 11% upon ratification, almost equal to all of the wage increases workers have seen since 2007, Browning said.
Typically, during past auto strikes, a UAW deal with one automaker has led to the other companies matching it with their own settlements. GM said in a statement it is "working constructively" with the union to reach an agreement as soon as possible. Stellantis also said it's committed to reaching a deal "that gets everyone back to work as soon as possible."
Browning said temporary workers will get more in wage increases than they have over the past 22 years combined. Temporary workers will get raises over 150% and retirees will get annual bonuses, he said. "Thanks to the power of our members on the picket line and the threat of more strikes to come, we have won the most lucrative agreement per member since Walter Reuther was president," Browning said. Reuther led the union from 1946 until his death in 1970.
Fain said that the union's national leadership council of local union presidents and bargaining chairs will travel Sunday to Detroit, where they'll get a presentation on the agreement and vote on whether to recommend it to members. Sunday evening the union will host a Facebook Live video appearance and later will hold regional meetings to explain the deal to members.
While on the picket line at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant west of Detroit Wednesday night, local union leaders invited workers across the road to the union hall for a briefing on the deal. As they trickled out of the building, many were smiling and most were relieved. "It's an emotional time for me. I'm emotional," worker Keith Jurgelewicz said as his eyes welled up with tears. "But just super excited that this is over with. I just can't wait to get back to work and just get on with my life." Jurgelewicz said he is happy that the end of the strike came during his shift on the picket lines, where he has faithfully appeared for all of his shifts. "Hopefully, GM and Stellantis can get their deals done."
In a statement, President Joe Biden, who had visited GM picketers near Detroit early in the strikes and has billed himself the most union-friendly president in American history, praised the settlement. "I've always believed the middle class built America and unions built the middle class," Biden said. "This tentative agreement is a testament to the power of employers and employees coming together to work out their differences at the bargaining table in a manner that helps businesses succeed while helping workers secure pay and benefits they can raise a family on."
Workers with pensions also will see increases for when they retire, and those hired after 2007 with 401(k) plans will get large increases, Browning said. For the first time, the union will have the right to go on strike over company plans to close factories, he said. "That means they can't keep devastating our communities and closing plants with no consequences," Browning said. "Together we have made history."
Ford said it is pleased to have reached the deal, and said it would focus on restarting the huge Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, as well as the Chicago Assembly Plant. The Louisville plant alone employs 8,700 workers and makes high profit heavy duty F-Series pickup trucks and big truck-based SUVs.
In all, 20,000 workers will be coming back on the job and shipping the company's full lineup of vehicles to customers, Ford said. Ford's statement made no mention of the cost of the contract. Company executives said last week they were at the limit of what they could pay while still being able to invest in new vehicles and the transition from internal combustion to electric vehicles. All three companies have said they don't want to be saddled with high labor costs that could limit their ability to invest in future vehicles and potentially force them to raise prices. "This agreement sets us on a new path to make things right at Ford, at the Big Three, and across the auto industry. Together, we are turning the tide for the working class in this country," Fain said.
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GM and Stellantis in Talks with United Auto Workers to Reach Deals that Mirror Ford's
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors and Jeep maker Stellantis are meeting with United Auto Workers bargainers to see if they can reach a contract agreement that mirrors a deal signed with crosstown rival Ford. Nearly 17,000 striking workers at Ford left the picket lines when the agreement was announced Wednesday night and will return to work shortly. About 57,000 Ford workers still have to vote on the tentative deal. GM and Stellantis will have to follow the pattern set by Ford or it's likely that UAW President Shawn Fain will add factories to its partial strikes that began on September 15.
GM and Stellantis are losing money due to the strikes and they may be eager to bring them to a close, even though it's not certain whether Ford workers will ratify the contract, Wheaton said. GM said Tuesday that it's losing about $200 million per week due to the strike, which this week hit the highly profitable factory in Arlington, Texas, that makes large truck-based SUVs such as the Chevrolet Tahoe.
All three companies have said they don't want to absorb labor costs that are so high that they would force price increases and make their vehicles more expensive than those made by nonunion companies such as Tesla and Toyota.
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Biden Approves Funding for Kansas Disaster Relief
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – President Biden has approved federal aid for Kansas to help with disaster relief from this summer’s storms. The president approved Governor Laura Kelly’s 18-million-dollar request Thursday to help with storm damage relief. Last month, Kelly requested the funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. KSNT TV reports that federal disaster assistance is intended to supplement state, local and tribal recovery efforts in areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding in mid-July. The money will help fund emergency work as well as repairs and replacements of damaged facilities.
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KU, K-State Partner to Attract High-Tech Industries
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas State and the University of Kansas are partnering with other universities and companies in an effort to attract high tech industries. These agencies already work on pharmaceuticals and biological defense, but the focus of partnership is growing biomanufacturing by creating a tech hub. Beth Montelone, with K-State, says this announcement doesn't come with money attached. But these agencies will work together to secure funding. “It makes it easier to get the big project grants because any one university or any one company may not have the bandwidth to do the work," she said. Tech hub leaders are hoping to get up to $75 million in grants over the next few years.
The new focus - bio-manufacturing - can be everything from beer making to energy production. This partnership will help businesses grow while also helping expand the Kansas and Missouri infrastructure around bio-manufacturing. K-State, KU and several other organizations are all part of this tech hub. Montelone says the partnership makes it easier to win grants and coordinate work. “We can avoid duplication. For example, the Kansas Board of Regents is very keen on avoiding duplicative programs," she said. The hub hopes to bring in up to $75 million in grants in the next few years.
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Law Enforcement: Medicaid Expansion Could Save Kansas Jails Millions
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Expanding Medicaid could save Kansas law enforcement agencies millions of dollars. That's according to leaders speaking Thursday at a Wichita roundtable. Kansas jails are required to pay health care costs for uninsured inmates. Sedgwick County law enforcement leaders say those costs would drop if more Kansans were insured under Medicaid expansion. Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter says expansion would result in federal tax dollars covering more of those medical costs. “Rough estimates, when we took a look at it, maybe 1.5, 2 million, somewhere around there," he said. According to a new survey from Fort Hays State University, 70% - including 55% of Republicans - support Medicaid expansion, But legislators appear unlikely to pass it next session.
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Survey: Most Kansans Support Legalized Recreational Marijuana
HAYS, Kan. (KNS) - A new survey from Fort Hays State University shows more than two-thirds of Kansans are in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana. And more than 60% said they would support lawmakers who back legalizing medical use. Kansas is one of just 12 states prohibiting all marijuana use. The Kansas House passed a bill in 2021, but it died in the Senate. Republican Senator Rob Olson has pushed for medical marijuana but says Senate leaders are thwarting efforts to legalize the drug. “But I do believe the majority of the state do want medical marijuana and I don’t see a reason why we don’t pass a bill," he said. Republican Senate President Ty Masterson has said medical marijuana is useful but the state must craft a law with tight regulations.
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KU Med Students Try to Create Free LGBTQ+ Clinic to Serve Rural Kansans
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - A group of students at the University of Kansas School of Medicine is working to create a free clinic in Wichita to serve LGBTQ people in rural areas. Three medical students are working on outreach to raise awareness of what they say is a specialized need for care targeting LGBTQ people. The clinic would likely offer things like hormone replacement therapy and regular check-ups. There’s currently a clinic like it at KU Med’s Kansas City, Kansas, campus. David Wallace previously served as director for that clinic and says he’s seen people drive there from places including Colby, more than 350 miles away. “So, kind of coming to Wichita is like a great way to make a clinic that’s closer to these rural communities, Wallace said. Wallace says rural doctors often are not educated on treating gender-queer patients and that can make visits difficult.
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Kansas Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in 2020 Double Homicide
COLUMBUS, Kan. (WIBW) - A Kansas woman has been sentenced to prison for her role in a double homicide. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach says that 32-year-old Kimberly Blizzard, of Cherokee County, has been sentenced to prison for her role in the 2020 homicides of Blaze Swank and Kyle Shook. Kobach noted that Blizzard was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and was ordered to serve more than 27 years in prison. WIBW TV reports that another defendant in the case, Mark Hopkins II, was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the crime.
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Kansas City Among Top Trending World Destinations for 2024
UNDATED (KPR) - Kansas City is listed as one of the best destinations for travel. That's according to Lonely Planet, a leading travel guide publisher. Lonely Planet has unveiled its list of trending destinations for 2024. This year’s list highlights 50 exceptional locations worldwide, including Kansas City. The publication also lists the Midwest as tops when it comes to best value destinations.
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No. 6 Oklahoma Puts Perfect Start on the Line at Kansas on Saturday
LAWRENCE, Kansas (AP) — Sixth-ranked Oklahoma will try to stay in the College Football Playoff mix when the Sooners head to Kansas on Saturday. The Jayhawks had a week off after a disappointing loss to Oklahoma State in which they blew a second-half lead. Oklahoma had to make a stop on a 2-point conversion inside the final 2 minutes last week to hold on for a 31-29 win over UCF. The Sooners have won the last 18 games against Kansas dating to 2000.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Sixth-ranked Oklahoma is trying to stay in the College Football Playoff picture after it was nearly beaten by UCF last week. The Sooners had to repel a potentially tying 2-point conversion in the final 2 minutes for the 31-29 victory. Kansas can become bowl-eligible with a win but has much bigger aspirations, and having last weekend off should help the Jayhawks prepare for a team that has beaten them 18 consecutive times.
KEY MATCHUP
Kansas quarterback Jason Bean against the Oklahoma defense, which allowed Knights quarterback John Rhys Plumlee to throw for 248 yards and account for three touchdowns last week. Bean is expected to start again in place of Jalon Daniels, who has missed much of the season with a back injury.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Oklahoma: QB Dillon Gabriel leads the Big 12 at more than 300 yards passing per game with 19 touchdown throws and only three interceptions, and those numbers coupled with the Sooners' unbeaten record has him a fringe Heisman Trophy contender. Kansas: FS Kenny Logan Jr. is the key to shutting down Gabriel and the Oklahoma pass offense. He has 336 career tackles, which are sixth-most among active FBS players, and he needs 12 more to pass LeRoy Irvin for the school record by a defensive back.
The Sooners have not lost to Kansas since October 4, 1997, when the Jayhawks won in Lawrence. Oklahoma is off to its third 7-0 start in the past five years.
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K-State Goes for Third Straight Win as Big 12 Newcomer Houston Visits for First Matchup
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State will go for its third straight win when it plays Big 12 newcomer Houston for the first time on Saturday. The Wildcats are trying to set up a big showdown with seventh-ranked Texas the following week. They have adopted a two-QB system with veteran Will Howard and freshman Avery Johnson, and both of them had big games last week in a 41-3 rout of TCU in a rematch of last year's conference title game won by the Wildcats. Houston is coming off a loss to the Longhorns.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Kansas State is coming off its best performance of the season, a comprehensive 41-3 thrashing of TCU in a rematch of last year's Big 12 title game. And after a tough loss to Oklahoma State a few weeks ago, the Wildcats have won back-to-back games to stay in the picture for a return to the championship game. Houston stands in the way of a big showdown next week with No. 7 Texas. The Cougars lost 31-24 to the Longhorns last week.
KEY MATCHUP
Whomever plays QB for Kansas State against the Houston defense, which held the Longhorns in check most of last Saturday. The Wildcats intend to play veteran Will Howard and freshman sensation Avery Johnson in tandem going forward, and each played well last week. Howard threw for 154 yards and three touchdowns while running for 62 yards, and Johnson threw for 90 yards and a score while running for 73 yards.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Houston: WRs Matthew Golden and Joseph Manjack IV each had 88 yards receiving against Texas, and Golden had two touchdowns among his seven catches while Manjack also scored. The two of them tend to be the first look downfield for QB Donovan Smith, who had 378 yards passing and three TDs against the Longhorns.
Kansas State: RBs Treshaun Ward and DJ Giddens have been the beneficiary of defenses having to key on Howard or Johnson given the ability of both quarterbacks to run. Ward ran for 89 yards and Giddens had 85 yards rushing and a touchdown last week against the Horned Frogs.
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Sporting Advance to Next MLS Play-Off Round
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) - Sporting Kansas City has advanced to the next round of the playoffs in Major League Soccer. The game was scoreless after regulation and Sporting outscored the Earthquakes, 4-2, in the penalty kick shootout. The victory means Sporting will travel to St. Louis for a best-of-3 series against St. Louis City, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Sunday night game starts at 9:00 pm.
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Short-Handed Denver Broncos Will Try to Snap 16-Game Losing Skid to KC Chiefs
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos are out to snap a pair of ignominious streaks Sunday when they host the Chiefs just 17 days after losing for the 16th consecutive time to Kansas City. The Broncos are seeking their first victory over the Chiefs since Week 2 of the 2015 season. If they lose to them again Sunday, that will tie the Rams' 17-game skid against the 49ers 1990s, which is the second-longest ever. The record is 20 consecutive losses by the Bills to the Dolphins in the 1970s. Another streak the Broncos would like to end is their 0-11 mark against Patrick Mahomes.
The Broncos (2-5) have a bigr challenge this weekend when they host the Chiefs (6-1) just 17 days after their 19-8 loss at Kansas City. The Broncos haven't beaten the Chiefs since Week 2 of the 2015 season and haven't beaten Patrick Mahomes in 11 tries. Kansas City has won the AFC West seven straight seasons and already has a three-game lead over the second-place Raiders this year.
Mahomes is an astonishing 16-0 on the road in the division over his career and on Sunday will seek to become the first quarterback in league history to beat an opponent 12 times without a loss. If Mahomes makes it a dirty dozen, the Broncos would tie the Rams' futility against the 49ers from 1990-98 for the second-longest losing streak to one opponent in history and inch closer to the record 20 consecutive losses by the Bills to Miami during the 1970s.
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
The Chiefs' second-leading rusher behind Isiah Pacheco happens to be Mahomes, who has 214 yards on a whopping 6.5 yards per attempt this season. There are plenty of reasons for that success, beginning with his uncanny internal clock to know when to tuck and run, and his vast knowledge of the pass routes, which help him know where to run. "I'm always looking to throw first knowing the guys are faster than me and can make the big plays," Mahomes said. "And then whenever I run, I run scared, and try to get the first down and get out of bounds as fast as possible."
COVERING KELCE
Nobody has figured out a way to slow down Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is coming off a 12-catch, 179-yard effort in last week's win over the Chargers. The Broncos even tried to rotate cover ace Patrick Surtain II onto him two weeks ago, and Kelce still had nine catches for 124 yards. "Maybe we see a little more of that," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "Teams are taking and putting good players on Travis, or doubling him, but he and Patrick have a unique chemistry there."
DENVER U-TURN
The Broncos have held the Chiefs to 19 points and the Packers to 17 after allowing a whopping 36.2 over the first five weeks. "They're playing good football," Reid said, crediting Payton with shaking up the roster and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, formerly a Broncos head coach, for making effective adjustments. "They know how to maneuver. They've done a good job."
LOCKE IN
With Broncos safety Kareem Jackson serving the first week of his two-game suspension for a vicious hit on Green Bay tight end Luke Musgrave, PJ Locke is expected to get his first start in his 51st career game. He made the game-sealing interception in the closing minutes Sunday after Jackson was disqualified for his fifth illegal hit of the season.
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Top-Ranked Kansas Heads into Season Expecting to Compete for National Championship
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Top-ranked Kansas is headed into the men's college basketball season expecting to compete for a national championship. They return three core players from last year's team that lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They also brought in a highly regarded three-man freshman class and perhaps the best transfer class in the country, headlined by 7-foot-2 ex-Michigan center Hunter Dickson and former Towson sharpshooter Nick Timberlake. The Jayhawks will face a stout schedule that includes No. 17 Kentucky, the loaded Maui Invitational and defending national champion UConn all before December 1 comes to an end.
Bill Self walked around T-Mobile Center last week with two broken ribs and a smile on his face. Not surprising given the wringer he's been through the last seven months. It began when the coach of top-ranked Kansas had chest pains on the eve of the Big 12 Tournament, landed in the hospital and wound up needing a valve replaced in his heart. The procedure caused him to miss not only the conference tourney but also the entire NCAA Tournament, or at least as long as the Jayhawks were around — which was the second round.
Six months later, the Jayhawks were stripped of their 2018 Final Four appearance and enough wins to fall behind Kentucky as the winningest program in men's college basketball. But the punishments from an independent panel, which wrapped up a years-long case that ensnared several other schools, could have been worse, and for the most part Self was cleared of wrongdoing. So yes, Self was smiling midway through fall practices despite his latest injury. "I actually broke two ribs the other day chasing my 5-year-old and my 3-year-old granddaughter around Allen Fieldhouse right before Late Night," he said. "One of the least athletic moves of my life, and certainly the definition of feeling old."
The 60-year-old Self was speaking tongue-in-cheek, and the truth is, he has every reason to feel young. The Jayhawks brought back the core of their team — Dajuan Harris Jr., Kevin McCullar and KJ Adams — while landing a top-10 recruiting class and filling their biggest holes with big wins in the transfer portal, none bigger than 7-foot-2 Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson.
All that made them the runaway choice for No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 and a national championship contender.
The Jayhawks face perhaps the toughest schedule in the country. The grind begins with No. 17 Kentucky at the Champions Classic three games into the season and includes a trip to the loaded Maui Invitational along with dates with defending champion and sixth-ranked UConn, longtime rival Missouri and Indiana. Oh, and the Big 12 figures to be harder than ever with No. 7 Houston joining fellow newcomers UCF, BYU and Cincinnati.
RETURNING CORE
Harris is not only the reigning Big 12 defensive player of the year but also led the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio last season. McCullar made a somewhat surprising decision to return for another season, while Adams should be able to slide over to his more natural power forward position now that Dickinson has arrived at center.
PORTAL PRIZES
Dickinson, a preseason All-American, could have gone just about anywhere after averaging more than 18 points and nearly nine rebounds each of the past two seasons. In landing at Kansas, the versatile big man not only found a place where he could be the focal point on a national title contender, but he also filled the biggest hole in the Jayhawks' roster last season. "For me," the outspoken and often unfiltered Dickinson said, "as long as we can buy into what coach is saying, as long as I'm playing hard and playing with intensity things should just fall into place." The Jayhawks also landed Nick Timberlake from Towson to fill their other big need: 3-point shooting. The sixth-year senior shot over 40% from beyond the arc each of the past two seasons.
DEPTH CONCERNS
The Jayhawks planned to have Texas transfer Arterio Morris off the bench, but he was kicked off the team last month when he was charged with rape. And with Zach Clemence expected to redshirt, the Jayhawks could be in trouble if injuries crop up.
FRESHMEN IN FOCUS
Elmarko Jackson was the highest-rated of the three freshmen that arrived this season, and the 6-foot-3 guard from Connecticut should push Timberlake for a spot in the starting lineup. Jamari McDowell, another 6-3 guard from Texas, could see minutes off the bench. But the big surprise has been late signee Johnny Furphy, a 6-7 swingman from Australia who had a breakout performance at NBA Academy events.
SCHEDULE SITUATION
Unlike some years, when the Jayhawks opened with a tough opponent in the Champions Classic, they get North Carolina Central and Manhattan as warm-up acts before facing the Wildcats. They head from there to Maui before returning home to face UConn at Allen Fieldhouse in one of the marquee games of college basketball's nonconference schedule.
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K-State Basketball Wants to Go from Good to Great After Surprising Elite Eight Run Last Season
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State coach Jerome Tang reflected upon last season, when the first-year Kansas State coach led what was nearly an entirely rebuilt roster to within a couple of buckets of the Final Four, and decided that the remarkable turnaround was pretty good. This year, he wants to the Wildcats to be great. That meant time spent talking with other people who have achieved greatness, and that led to a trip to Colorado and a meeting with Deion Sanders. Tang had known Ray Forsett, the chief of staff for the Hall of Famer-turned-college football coach dating to his days at Baylor, when Forsett was a prep coach and Tang was recruiting one of his players, Isaiah Austin. "I wanted to expand what I was doing because there's a fine line between going from good to great," Tang said. "Ray opened the opportunity for me to meet with Deion and find out about roster management, staff management, things like that from him."
Tang also spent time with Constance Schwartz-Morini, who along with Michael Strahan founded the sports branding company SMAC Entertainment, and who helped him learn what it would take to expand the Kansas State brand. "Not just make it national, because it already is, but make it global," Tang explained, "because I believe that I'm in the best place in the world to compete for national championships every year. I want to do my part to put us in that position." Rebuilding a roster that lost Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell to the NBA is a good place to start.
Tang started that process by landing two of the nation's top transfers, high-scoring guard Tylor Perry from North Texas and Creighton swingman Arthur Kaluma. Then he put the finishing touches on one of the best recruiting classes in school history, featuring a trio of four-star guards in Dai Dai Ames, Macaleab Rich and R.J. Jones. Six-foot-10 forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin, versatile David N'Guessan and breakout candidate Cam Carter are back from last year and, coupled with the new additions, have the expectation to get right back to where they finished — and a step farther. "New season," N'Guessan said, "new goals."
SCHEDULE SHAKEDOWN
Kansas State will be tested right out of the gate by No. 21 USC on November 6 in the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas. After games against Bellarmine and South Dakota State, the Wildcats head to the Baha Mar Hoops Championship in the Bahamas. They also have non-conference games against Providence, No. 22 Villanova and Wichita State.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Tom Parkinson and Kaye McIntyre. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.