Ford Motor Company is investing more than $1.45 billion in two southeast Michigan manufacturing facilities and adding 3,000 new jobs to strengthen its leadership in trucks and SUVs and support the company’s expansion into electric and autonomous vehicles.

The new collective bargaining agreement ratified tonight by United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) represented employees in the United States increases Ford Motor Company’s (NYSE: F) manufacturing competitiveness and provides $6 billion in U.S. investments, creating and securing 8,500 hourly jobs in America.

The following statement is attributable to Bill Dirksen, Vice President, Labor Affairs, Ford Motor Company.

The following statement is attributable to Bill Dirksen, Vice President, Labor Affairs, Ford Motor Company.

UAW and Ford executives shake hands today at Ford World Headquarters to begin negotiations for the 2019 contract.

Inside the Ford plant on Chicago’s south side, it’s difficult to recognize that it is the company’s oldest continuously producing plant.

Ford today announced it is expanding its production capacity for the company’s next-generation battery electric vehicles at a second North American plant.

Ford Motor Company will again boost production of its hot-selling Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator this summer as both vehicles continue to gain share over their competitors in the large SUV segment.

Ford Motor Company is investing $1 billion in Chicago Assembly and Stamping Plants and adding 500 new jobs as it prepares to launch three highly anticipated new SUVs that go on sale later this year.

Inside Ford’s new Advanced Manufacturing Center, an engineer stands in front of a 3D printing machine churning out brake parts for Ford’s soon-to-be-introduced Shelby Mustang GT500. Across the room, two team members strap on virtual reality headsets to design and simulate production lines, while another is working alongside a collaborative robot, programming a safer way to install a vehicle part.