Released on November 5, 2007

Ford’s Cleveland Casting, once slated for shutdown, will remain open for at least one year because of an agreement the company signed with the United Auto Workers union (UAW), the Associated Press reports.

Ford announced the closing of the ferrous metalcaster in May, saying the move was “in line with Ford’s commitment to match its manufacturing capacity with actual customer demand.” The company’s strategic plan at the time included a slate of other shutdowns, with a focus on discontinuing in-house metalcasting operations.

The tentative contract between Ford and the UAW will hold for the next four years and dictates that Ford not sell or close any plants beyond the three it already scheduled for shutdown—Twin Cities Assembly, St. Paul, Minn., and Batavia Transmission, Batavia, Ohio, as well as Cleveland Casting.

The contract also ensures one-year extensions for Cleveland Casting and Twin Cities Assembly.