Last Updated: November 03. 2009 12:37PM

Gettelfinger: Contract 'fatigue' led to UAW no-vote for Ford

Louis Aguilar / The Detroit News

United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said "fatigue" from givebacks by Ford Motor Co. workers caused them to soundly reject proposed changes to their labor contract.

Speaking on Fox Business Network on Tuesday morning, Gettelfinger conceded UAW leaders did a poor job in convincing a majority of the 41,000 Ford workers the latest concessions were a "win-win" for members and the automaker.

"We just did not do a good job selling it to our membership," Gettelfinger said. "We underestimated the fatigue, if you will, or the people constantly having to make a decision on a contract," Gettelfinger said.

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The official results of the vote show 70 percent of production workers and 75 percent of skilled trades workers voted against the proposed changes.

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