Unifor talks negotiating with Stellantis in Canada after ratifying deal with GM, Ford
(CBS DETROIT) - Canadian union Unifor announced Tuesday it will now target Stellantis after ratifying deals with General Motors and Ford.
The union, which represents more than 8,200 Stellantis workers in Canada, will begin contract negotiations on Wednesday, with a strike deadline set at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 29, according to a press release. Unifor is continuing its mission to a pattern agreement that was set with the two other automakers.
The three-year pattern agreement covers more than 9,000 workers at GM and Ford.
"Our union is looking forward to this next and final round of talks with the Detroit automakers to secure the terms of our Canadian pattern and to make important additional gains on various Stellantis-specific workplace issues," said Unifor President Lana Payne in a statement. "We also have the added challenge of negotiating future product commitments for the Brampton Assembly plant that secures a future for all of our Stellantis members in the EV transition."
General Motors and Unifor reached a tentative contract agreement on Oct. 10, ending a strike that began hours earlier. The new agreement covers autoworkers at GM's assembly plant in Oshawa, a powertrain plant in St. Catharines, and a parts distribution center in Woodstock. On. Oct. 15, the workers voted to ratify the contract.
Nearly a month ago, the union ratified an agreement with Ford on Sept. 19, hours before members were set to go on strike.
"Our bargaining team is fully committed to negotiating a strong agreement that delivers on the core priorities set by our members and ensures that unionized autoworkers continue to set the highest standards for all manufacturing workers in Canada," said Stellantis master bargaining chairperson James Stewart in a press release.
In the United States, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain did not announce any expansions to the month-long strike against the three big automakers. Instead, he said that the UAW is done waiting until Friday to announce new strike expansions.
"We will be calling out plants when we need to, where we need to, with little notice," Fain said. "We're not sticking to one pattern or one system of giving these companies an extra hour or an extra day. They know what needs to happen, and they know how to get it done."
Since then, the automakers have continued to announce layoffs due to the strike. Recently, Ford said it laid off about 700 workers at its Rouge Electric Vehicle in Dearborn, where they build the F-150 Lightning.
