Ford has many UAW employees whose family members have worked for "Ford's" for generations.
Roderick Williams, 70, of Westland, told the Free Press in June that he planned to retire soon but didn't know when. He had been reporting to the Dearborn Truck Plant since 1970.
"I've been in the Rouge complex all my existence. When I first started out, I didn't care for it. The work was hard," said Williams, a second-generation factory worker. "Ford gave me a life that endured through time."
Williams has hit his 53-year mark and has not retired, Ford spokeswoman Jessica Enoch confirmed on Wednesday.
"I do my job. I get up at 3:55 and start work at 5:30 a.m.," he told the Free Press in June. "I'm just grateful of the fact that I was able to endure, to enjoy what I'm doing, coming in every day."
The UAW strike on the Detroit Three began Sept. 15. Ford reached a tentative agreement on Oct. 25. Some 57,000 union members who work for Ford began the ratification vote on Wednesday. The process is expected to last until mid-November.
