Ford Motor Company and Unifor have come to a preliminary agreement on a three-year labor contract, with specific details to be unveiled later. Unifor represents approximately 5,000 employees across five plants in southern Ontario and one in Alberta.
Negotiations commenced at the end of the previous month, coinciding with the expiration of deals at the major American automakers, including Stellantis and General Motors. The union chose to initiate talks with Ford first and is anticipated to move on to discussions with the other two automakers following the ratification of the Ford deal.
Unifor has scheduled the voting on the contract for Ford workers to take place between July 17 and 19, with the results to be disclosed after the final tally. Ford of Canada has announced that, out of respect for the ratification process, it will refrain from disclosing the specifics of the preliminary agreement.
John D’Agnolo, Unifor Ford Master Bargaining Chair from Windsor, Ontario, expressed eagerness to present the tentative agreement to the members, emphasizing the dedication of the negotiating team to recognize the efforts of the workers. Unifor had initiated negotiations with Ford the previous month and is currently engaging in talks for new contracts with the major Detroit automakers, aiming to secure improved pay, job security, and benefits for its almost 19,000 members at these companies.
The agreement is dependent on the ratification by the Ford-Unifor members, with the existing collective agreements set to expire on September 20. The union initiated talks earlier than usual due to deteriorating economic conditions, with thousands of workers across the plants of the automakers facing layoffs as production activities have been adjusted or halted at various facilities.
