The United Auto Workers will meet this week to nominate Vice President Bob King as the successor to President Ron Gettelfinger. According to sources, the labor union’s administrative caucus is expected to announce their support of King after a meeting on Wednesday. The UAW membership will vote for the new President in June, but the leadership’s nominee has typically easily won that vote. King led the negotiations with Ford during the recent downturn in auto sales.

Workers at Ford Motor plants have rejected contract concessions the company has said are necessary to remain competitive with other U.S. automakers. A plant in Kentucky and a plant in Michigan both voted overwhelmingly against the concessions on Friday. The UAW will announce the final results of the nationwide concessions vote today. Ford had promised to create or keep 6,000 jobs in exchange for a wage freeze for new hires until 2015.

By Doug Cunningham