Unifor autoworkers reach tentative deal with Ford
Posted September 19, 2023 6:57 pm.
Unifor says it has reached a tentative deal with Ford Motor Company that could avoid represented Canadian autoworkers going on strike.
The union says the proposed contract will be brought to members shortly for a vote.
Unifor has reached a tentative agreement with Ford Motor Company.
Read our full update here: https://t.co/kKrfngyYPv
— Unifor (@UniforTheUnion) September 20, 2023
Negotiations with Ford are expected to set expectations for what workers will get in contracts from General Motors and Stellantis.
Unifor-represented Canadian autoworkers were in legal strike position on Monday night, but they extended talks with Ford Motor Co. by 24 hours to see if the two sides could reach a new contract.
In a late afternoon Monday update, the union said it was telling its 5,600 members at Ford to be ready for all scenarios, including strike action, when the contract expires at the end of the day.
Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a Monday night video statement that the union would be on strike after the collective agreement expires, but a statement on Unifor’s website says Unifor Ford members should remain on shift unless they receive explicit instructions from the union to do otherwise.
Unifor has said it is focused on increasing wages, improving pensions, and securing good jobs in a future set to be dominated by electric vehicles.
This tentative deal comes as autoworkers represented by the United Auto Workers in the United States are on the picket line.
Some 13,000 U.S. autoworkers started striking last week, targeting a plant at each of the Detroit Three automakers.
U.S. autoworkers are pushing for upwards of 40 per cent wage gains, while Unifor has not put out a number, saying only that it wants to see significant increases.
