Five days post the initial tentative deal between Unifor and Ford Motor Company, a new three-year collective agreement was narrowly ratified following this weekend’s voting process. Thousands of Ford workers from all over Canada participated in this crucial vote, determining whether the contract proposal from Ford, categorized as the “largest negotiated general wage increase in Unifor and CAW history,” should be approved.
Unifor National President, Lana Payne, applauded the efforts of the bargaining team, commending their resilience against Ford of Canada. She articulated, “This contract will change lives in a profound way. It fundamentally transforms pension plans, provides protections during the EV transition and includes the highest wage increases in the history of Canadian auto bargaining.”
Members of Unifor voted favorably towards the agreement, despite voting concluding amid slight apprehension at 10 a.m. on Sunday. The union reported that 54 percent of the members were in favor of the deal, that is anticipated to impact as many as 5,600 workers in Canada. Ford Master Bargaining Chair, John D’Agnolo, expressing his relief, admitted he had hoped for a higher voting percentage but acknowledged the present reality.
This momentous agreement, expounded upon by Unifor this past Saturday, stipulates a 10 percent wage increase in the first year, progressing to a two and three percent increase in the following years. Workers stand to gain a base hourly wage increase of nearly 20 percent for production and 25 percent for trades throughout the contract tenure. Full-time employees are also set to receive a $10,000 signing bonus. Other notable benefits include additional paid time off, improvements to pension security, and upgrades to health benefits.
CEO, Ford of Canada, Bev Goodman, praised the steadfast commitment of their Unifor-represented autoworkers, adding that the contract serves to invest in them. Goodman confirmed that this contract advances Ford’s objective of enhancing customer service and satisfaction.
In the local scene, the new agreement offers additional investment and increased capacity in the Windsor plant, and enhanced income eligibility during the Oakville’s Electric Vehicle Centre’s retooling phase. D’Agnolo confidently claimed, “We wanted to make sure we got gains across the board for all our members. And that’s what we did and it reflects in the new agreement.”
Following this crucial turn of events, the imminent threat of a strike at Ford Canada is now defused, providing a framework for Stellantis and General Motors to emulate. Unifor’s Lana Payne is set to unveil the subsequent automaker in line for negotiations come next Monday.
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