This is no big surprise, the UAW has voted against wage and benefit concessions to Ford.
It would have been the 4th round of concessions since 2005, and the rank and file said, “Enough is enough”.
Basically, they are not in the mood to make more give-backs when the stockholders, including the Ford family, are kept whole.
Additionally, I think that the Ford workers really do believe that they make a better car than their competition, something which is born out by 3rd quarter results, where Ford posted a profit of nearly $1 billion, largely on the fact that it was the US manufacturer to do best on the cash for clunkers program, because Bill Ford, even in the days of the SUV, was committed to making good quality smaller automobiles.
In a way, they are a victim of their own success: Their workers believe in their ability to make a good product that people will buy.