Toronto, Ontario — Unifor has announced that Ford of Canada will be the first target of the union’s ongoing negotiations over a new contract.
Unifor National President Jerry Dias made the announcement Tuesday morning in Toronto, as the country’s largest private-sector union pushes for new product commitments made at Canadian plants—especially electric vehicles—and calls on the government to invest in a national auto strategy.
“I selected Ford because we think the company is prepared to reward our members, make a commitment to continue manufacturing in Canada, and has a vision that we think is in the best interest of the industry and the economy,” said Dias, speaking at a news conference streamed live on Unifor’s Facebook page. “Worldwide we have seen more than $300 billion dollars announced for electric vehicle production and not one dime is destined for Canada. Our members want that to change.”
The union made the choice over Fiat Chrysler and General Motors and will negotiate with Ford Motor Co. until its strike deadline on Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m. The deal will serve as a pattern for the agreements made with the other two manufacturers on issues like wages, pensions and benefits.
The negotiations, which take place every four years, come as Ford employees face expiring product lines in Oakville, Ont., while Fiat Chrysler workers have seen shift cuts in Windsor and Brampton.
Dias said the Ford Edge, manufactured in Oakville, is set to roll off assembly lines in 2023 with no product replacement coming down the pipe.
In a statement from Ford Canada’s vice president of human resources Ryan Kantautas, it was announced that the auto manufacturer will be working in collaboration with Unifor to secure a new deal for automotive workers that will hopefully keep the Canadian industry competitive.
Kantautas also called on his employees “to work with us to help shape this new reality” for the Canadian automotive industry.
