Ford and Canadian Union Reach Tentative Deal, Avoiding Strikes
Ford Motor avoided potential labor strikes in both the U.S. and Canada as the automaker and Canadian union Unifor announced a tentative deal covering 5,600 autoworkers in Ontario.
The agreement was announced just before the Tuesday night deadline and still needs to be ratified by members. The talks were extended by 24 hours after Ford’s last-minute proposal to Unifor.
This agreement came on the fifth day of targeted strikes by the United Auto Workers union against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. A strike would have affected Ford’s Oakville Assembly Plant and two engine plants.
The details of the agreement have not been released yet, but Lana Payne, the national president of Unifor, stated that it addresses all the concerns raised by members during collective bargaining preparations.
Unifor took a more traditional approach compared to the U.S. counterpart, selecting Ford as its “target” company and opting for a national strike if necessary.
The agreement will serve as a pattern for future negotiations with GM and Stellantis once ratified by the members.
Meanwhile, Ford will continue its talks with the UAW, and additional strikes are possible if significant progress is not made by Friday.