
In a dramatic turn of events at the brink of the deadline, Unifor has managed to broker a tentative agreement with the Ford Motor Company. Speaking on behalf of more than 5,600 members spread across Ford-operated facilities in Canada, Lana Payne, the National President of Unifor, expressed enthusiasm about the agreement addressing all the issues presented by the members.
As per Payne’s statement, the agreement, endorsed by the master bargaining committee in its entirety, successfully covers all areas of concern raised by members during this round of collective bargaining. Confidence is high that this agreement will strengthen the base for prospective bargaining gains benefiting generations of autoworkers in Canada.
This agreement comes into play as the Collective Agreement between Unifor and the Ford Motor Company expired at the stroke of midnight on Monday. Following closely on the heels of the initial deadline, a “substantive offer” led to the negotiations being extended by a whole day. The terms of bargaining were kept open-ended, but members were advised by Unifor to brace themselves for a potential strike.
The novel tentative agreement extends its coverage to members of Unifor Locals – 707, 200, 584, 1087, 240, and 1324. The places of operation include Ford’s Oakville Assembly Plant, Annex, and Essex Engine Plants situated in Windsor, Ontario, and parts distribution centres in Bramalea, Paris, and Casselman in Ontario, and Leduc, Alta.
Reflecting on the process, John D’Agnolo, Unifor Ford Master Bargaining Chair asserted that apart from the master agreement, several unique issues faced by members at individual Ford locations had to be resolved. He emphasized that the present agreement would provide the necessary gains required by the members and further ensure financial security in the future.
Payne applauded the bargaining team for surmounting massive and unconventional challenges to meet the members’ needs.
The specifics of the collective agreement will initially be presented to Unifor members at Ford Motor Company during ratification meetings that will be staged in the approaching days, as stated by the union.
On the 29th of August, Unifor announced that the Ford Motor Company was a primary targeting company within the Detroit Three in the ongoing round of negotiations incorporating Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.