The latest contract proposal for Ford Motor...

The latest contract proposal for Ford Motor Co.’s British plants received mixed reactions from striking hourly workers, who will vote on the offer today. If workers ratify the latest offer, which has been recommended by union leaders, the more than 32,000 workers who have been on strike from Ford’s 22 British plants since Feb. 8, could be back to work Monday. Ford backed down on its demand for a three-year contract, offering instead a two-year pact with wage increases of at least 14% over the term of the contract. The unions agreed to changes in working practices designed to increase productivity, but the changes must be agreed upon at the plant level instead of being imposed by management.