Ford Motor Company and Unifor have agreed on a preliminary three-year labor deal, with specifics to be disclosed 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 agreements at major American automakers, including Stellantis and General Motors.
The union chose to initiate discussions with Ford first and plans to engage with the other two automakers post the ratification of the Ford deal. Unifor has scheduled the voting on the contract for Ford workers between July 17 and 19, with the results to be announced after the final tally.
Ford of Canada has affirmed that it will not divulge the specifics of the tentative agreement to honor the ratification process. Unifor’s Ford Master Bargaining Chair, John D’Agnolo from Windsor, Ontario, expressed anticipation in presenting the agreement to the members, highlighting the acknowledgment of their daily contributions on the shop floor during negotiations.
Unifor initiated talks with Ford last month, aiming to secure improved pay, job stability, and benefits for its nearly 19,000 members at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. The union’s decision to start negotiations with Ford first was based on the automaker’s strong commitment to its Canadian operations.
The agreement reached is contingent upon ratification by Ford-Unifor members, as the existing collective agreements are set to expire on September 20. The union commenced discussions earlier than usual due to deteriorating economic conditions, with around 6,000 employees facing layoffs across the automakers’ facilities as production shifts or halts at various plants.