Ford Motor Co Chief Executive Alan Mulally’s total compensation fell 37.4 percent to $13.6 million in 2008 from the prior year as the automaker fought a downturn in auto sales, the company said on Tuesday.

Ford Motor Co. President and CEO Alan Mulally received compensation valued at $17.7 million in 2008, down more than 22 percent from the prior year, as the automaker struggles amid the worst U.S. auto sales slump in 27 years, according to a federal regulatory filing published Tuesday.

Ford Motor Company today filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a preliminary notice regarding its 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Negotiators for Chrysler LLC and the Canadian Auto Workers union began concession talks in earnest Tuesday amid threats by the company to pull out of Canada without more givebacks and the union saying it wants Chrysler to stick to a deal it reached with General Motors Corp.