The European version of the Ford Transit van. Pictured is the short wheelbase model.

The European version of the Ford Transit van. Pictured is the short wheelbase model.

DEARBORN, MI – Ford announced that UAW members had ratified a new four-year labor agreement, part of which includes product commitments.

This announcement included confirmation from Ford that the automaker plans to bring the European version of the Transit commercial van to the U.S. with production slated to begin in 2013.

In addition, the automaker said it will end production of its E-Series vans at its Avon Lake, Ohio plant. Ford said variations of the E-Series will continue to be available through “most of the decade.”

Ford confirmed it’s insourcing production of its F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks, currently built in Escobedo, Mexico, and now plans to produce them at its Avon Lake plant.

The automaker said this change marks the end of a decade-old Blue Diamond Truck LLC joint venture between Ford and Navistar International, which currently manufactures Ford F-650 and F-750 trucks in Mexico for customers across North America.

Ford said that with this agreement it's adding 12,000 hourly jobs in its U.S. manufacturing facilities through the four-year term of the contract, including in-sourcing work from Mexico, China, and Japan. The company also is investing $16 billion in its U.S. product development and manufacturing operations, including $6.2 billion in plant-specific investments, by 2015.

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