Labor talks between the UAW and Ford are ramping up as UAW President Ron Gettelfinger arrived at Ford headquarters this morning to participate in the negotiations. Chrysler and GM have already settled their contracts for the next four years, but both automakers had to deal with brief strikes while negotiations were finalized. A UAW strike deadline for Ford is expected soon, but it's likely that an agreement will be reached before a strike becomes necessary. Ford is expected to seek more concessions than GM or Chrysler received, as the company lost $12.6 billion last year. Both Ford and the UAW say they hope they can conclude negotiations this week. [The Detroit News]

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