DETROIT Ford Motor Co.'s profit-sharing payments to its 110,000U.S. hourly workers are expected to average about $2,000 apiece earlynext year while General Motors Corp.'s payouts are expected to besmall or non-existent, sources at the two companies said yesterday.
Ford, whose profits should approach or exceed the company recordof $2.9 billion earned in 1984, paid $1,200 per worker inprofit-sharing earlier this year based on 1985 profits of $2.5billion.
GM, whose profits have been under pressure and will fallsignificantly below last year's $4 billion, paid its U.S. workers anaverage of $328 based on 1985 earnings.
Company sources said the giant automaker may find some money touse for profit-sharing for its more than 400,000 U.S. hourly workers,but even then such payments would not be expected to exceed $100each.
The GM sources said the profit-sharing situation is likely toanger GM's unionized workers even more when the figures are comparedwith the hefty bonuses traditionally paid executives.
GM, due to enter national labor contract negotiations with theUnited Automobile Workers union next summer, could find an angry workforce, the company sources said.
The bonus policy has boosted GM Chairman Roger Smith's pay bymore than $1 million annually since 1984.
UAW Vice President Donald Ephlin, who heads the union's GMdepartment, said, "The question of auto industry executive bonuseshas concerned us for many, many years, more particularly in the lastfew years when our members were asked to make big sacrifices.
"We think that is inappropriate when they are getting bonuses."
GM Chairman Smith on Monday defended bonuses for top managers,saying GM would face the possibility of losing white-collar talentwithout making such payments on top of regular salaries.
GM and Ford spokesmen declined comment, saying they do notforecast earnings.
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