Canada’s Unifor, Ford in contract talks as strike deadline nears

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In August, Unifor National President Lana Payne announced Ford Motor Co. as the the union's target company in this year's contract negotiations. That contract was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Monday.

With so much attention focused on UAW talks and the ongoing strike, you might be forgiven, at least if you’re a U.S. resident, for not realizing that another big union is also negotiating with the Detroit Three automakers and has a critical deadline Monday night.

Unifor, the union representing Canada autoworkers, is bargaining with Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Stellantis, which owns Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat, and Monday is the expiration date for the current contract.

“For the first time since 1999 with the exception of the 2008-09 financial crisis, Unifor and the UAW are negotiating with the Detroit Three at the same time,” according to Unifor.

Here are a few questions and answers to help you navigate the process:

When is the deadline for reaching a deal in Canada?

Contracts between Unifor and the Detroit Three expire at 11:59 p.m. Monday. However, Ford was picked as the lead company, so only Ford workers would be “in a legal strike position” at that time, according to the union. Contracts with GM and Stellantis have been extended.

How many autoworkers are in the Unifor union?

Stellantis has the most, according to information from the union, with 8,230; GM has 5,780 and Ford has 5,680. The facility with the largest number of Ford workers – 3,400 – is the company’s Oakville Assembly Plant, which makes the Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus, according to the union. For Stellantis, it’s 4,500 at Windsor Assembly, where the Chrysler Pacifica is built, and for GM, it’s 3,100 at Oshawa Assembly where the Chevrolet Silverado is built. By contrast, the UAW has about 150,000 workers at Detroit Three facilities in the U.S.

More:UAW strike 2023 against Detroit automakers: Updates, news from the picket sites

What are the main priorities for Unifor?

Unifor announced its bargaining priorities in May, sharing some similarities with the UAW − pensions, wages, transition plans as autoworkers shift to producing electric vehicles, and confirmation of new investment and product lines. But in an update to members on Thursday, Unifor National President Lana Payne said, “Pensions remain our top priority in these talks.” The Free Press has asked Ford about its priorities, too.

How likely are the two sides to reach a deal soon?

The Free Press reported Aug. 29 that Payne was confident the union and Ford would reach a deal by the deadline, citing the company’s plan to invest $1.8 billion to retool Oakville for EV production by 2025 as a reason to start talks with Ford. However, more recent updates took a different tone. In the Thursday update, Payne said progress was being made but “We are meeting resistance from Ford on priority issues.” An update on Sunday from the union said the sides remained far apart and workers were advised to prepare for “all scenarios, including strike action.” Rose Pao, spokeswoman for Ford of Canada, said on Monday that “we are hard at work at the bargaining table with Unifor to create a blueprint that leads our employees, our business, our customers, and our communities into the future.”

Did the union take a vote to authorize a strike, if necessary, like the UAW?

Yes. The tally in favor (or favour in Canada) was 98.9% at Ford, 99% at GM and 98.1% at Stellantis. The union did not release the number of members who participated. When the results were announced on Aug. 28, Payne said “Canadian autoworkers have sent a strong message to D3 automakers that they are united behind our bargaining committees in an effort to improve pensions, increase wages, and secure good, union jobs in the EV future.”

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