Ford adds 1550 jobs to build new F-150 pickup truck

Ford Motor said Wednesday it was adding 1,550 jobs in response to growing consumer demand for its new aluminum-bodied F-150 pickup truck.
Ford said the additional jobs will support stepped-up production of the 2015 Ford F-150, which went on sale in December. The F-150 is the best-selling truck in the United States and the all-new lighter version was named North American truck of the year at last month's Detroit auto show.
"These jobs are further proof that customers recognize the all-new F-150 as the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever. We sell every truck we can build, and we plan to build more," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, The Americas, in a statement.
On Tuesday, Ford reported US sales rose 15 percent in January from a year ago, and pointed to robust demand for the lighter F-150, which averaged 12 days on dealer lots, its fastest-selling vehicle.
Ford's 1,550 new jobs, set for the first quarter, will be divided among three Michigan plants and a plant in Kansas City, Missouri.
Ford said that the additional jobs bring it to a threshold in its contract with the United Auto Workers union that results in an hourly wage increase for up to 500 workers, to $28.50 from their entry-level wage of $19.28, during the January-March period.
The second-largest US automaker noted it had added more than 5,000 hourly jobs across its US manufacturing facilities in 2014.
Ford shares were up 1.2 percent at $15.84 in midday trade on the New York Stock Exchange.