Ford and the United Auto Workers union have come to a tentative deal that could end the worker strike against the automaker and grant sizeable pay increases to union workers.

Kate Bronfenbrenner, director of labor education research and a senior lecturer at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, is an expert on union and employer strategies in organizing and bargaining.

Bronfenbrenner says:

“The UAW-Ford tentative agreement is a momentous victory for U.S. auto workers, which will have ripple effects on union organizing and bargaining efforts worldwide. 

“After decades of concessionary agreements and stagnating wages, the settlement brings more than a 25% wage increase, eliminates two tiers, provides significant pension gains, and includes the right to strike over plant closures—all critical issues in the strike. More than that, the victory demonstrates that unions can win when they run aggressive and strategic strikes focusing on the issues that resonate with workers and the broader community.”