Unifor Launches Auto Talks With Ford Motor This Week
Nearly 19,000 Canadian auto workers are entering contract negotiations as the union targets Ford first, with talks set to begin Monday in Toronto.
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Unifor is launching significant labour negotiations this week with the Detroit three automakers as nearly 19,000 Canadian auto workers prepare for talks that union leadership is calling the most consequential in the organization's history.
Negotiations between Unifor and Ford Motor Co., Stellantis, and General Motors are scheduled to begin June 23 in Toronto, with collective agreements set to expire on September 20. Following its pattern from three years ago, Unifor will target Ford first, with talks to follow at Stellantis and General Motors.
Unifor national president Lana Payne outlined the strategic reasons for starting with Ford. "While the auto industry keeps shifting and changing around us, Ford is maintaining its footprint in Canada, including the Windsor engine plant, Essex engine plant, and the retooling of the Oakville Assembly Plant," she said. "It also matters that Unifor and Ford have a long history of bargaining that has delivered positive gains for auto workers."
Payne emphasized the stakes involved. "We are approaching these contract negotiations with determination, but also with realism. The stakes are incredibly high, and we need to take the most disciplined, strategic approach possible." The talks come as the sector grapples with the introduction of Chinese electric vehicles into Canada and ongoing uncertainty surrounding negotiations for the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement.