Ford will add 900 jobs in Kansas City and increase salaries for a number of its existing workers building the F-150 truck.

A 2015 Ford F-150 (Photo by: Sam VarnHagen)

A 2015 Ford F-150 (Photo by: Sam VarnHagen)

The company announced the overall addition of 1,550 jobs at its facilities in Kansas City and in Dearborn and Sterling Heights, Michigan, building the 2015 F-150. As part of Ford’s 2011 collective bargaining agreement with the United Auto Workers, about 300 to 500 workers will see a pay increase from $19.28 to $28.50 an hour. Ford says most of those employees work in Kansas City, Chicago and Louisville.

The addition of jobs is on top of 5,000 hourly jobs Ford added across its U.S. manufacturing facilities in 2014. Once the new hires come on board during the first quarter of this year, Ford will employ more than 7,000 workers in Kansas City.

Ford says the moves are in response to strong demand for the F-150. The company says January was the F-Series truck’s strongest sales month since 2004.

Governor Jay Nixon (D) will travel to Magna Seating in Excelsior Springs Wednesday to talk about the additions at Ford and the strength of Missouri’s auto sector.