Fiat Chrysler, UAW reach agreement, averting strike

DETROIT (AP)

Fiat Chrysler has avoided an expensive strike at its U.S. plants after reaching a tentative agreement with the United Auto Workers union.

UAW announced the agreement just after 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, which was the deadline the union had set to reach a new deal or possibly go on strike.

Details of the agreement weren’t immediately released. Local union leaders will vote on the tentative agreement this Friday at a meeting in Detroit.

This is the second agreement FCA and the union have reached. Last week, UAW members overwhelmingly rejected a previous tentative agreement, saying it didn’t go far enough in restoring benefits workers lost in previous contracts.

The UAW represents around 40,000 FCA factory workers at 23 U.S. plants.