• The Unifor workers’ union and Ford reached a tentative deal on the terms of a three-year contract.
Great news last night with the announcement that Unifor, the union representing Canadian auto workers, have reached an agreement in principle with Ford. The deal on a new three-year contract was reached just hours before the end of the second deadline set by Unifor to avoid strike action.
The strike just averted would have been the first in 33 years for Canadian auto workers.
Once again, this is excellent news.
“We believe that this tentative agreement, endorsed by the entire master bargaining committee, addresses all of the items raised by members in preparation for this round of collective bargaining. We believe that this agreement will solidify the foundations on which we will continue to bargain gains for generations of autoworkers in Canada.”
- Unifor National President Lana Payne
The union did not disclose the details of the tentative agreement, but it has consistently said that it would not accept anything that did not provide for improved pensions and wages, as well as greater job security for members during the upcoming shutdowns expected as part of work to transition facilities to produce electric vehicles.
The question of pensions was one of the most contentious issues, as was the question of wage increases, of the order of 20 percent according to some sources.
In this respect, it's a far cry from the gap between supply and demand in the U.S., where first strike action was called last Thursday evening. Some manufacturers have offered 20-percent wage hikes, while the UAW demanded 40 percent initially, and later 35 percent.
The agreement between Unifor and Ford was announced around two hours before the 11:59pm deadline last night (September 19).
There has been no comment from Ford as of yet. That’s understandable, given that the agreement must be accepted by the union members before being ratified. That should happen in the next few days.
Unifor’s negotiations with Ford will serve as a basis for talks and eventually agreements with the two other American manufacturers, General Motors and Stellantis.