The union representing Canada’s autoworkers is “assembly resistance” in ongoing talks with Ford Motor Firm, the union’s nationwide president stated Thursday in an replace to members, saying there was little motion on key points comparable to pensions.
Lana Payne stated, nonetheless, that talks weren’t stalled because the union and its members method the expiration of their collective agreements at 11:59 p.m. Monday.
“If I used to be to summarize the standing of talks with Ford proper now, I’d say issues are shifting, however we’re definitely not there but,” Payne stated.
She stated Ford has made two provides to date, each of which the union has rejected. She stated, “these provides didn’t come near assembly our expectations.”
She didn’t elaborate on the specifics of both deal.
Payne stated the union remained “utterly centered” on the 4 priorities it had outlined earlier than and through the early days of bargaining: pensions, wages, EV transition assist and investments.
Pensions had been the highest concern, she stated, and the most-asked query from members.
These contract talks have an effect on 18,000 Canadian staff at Stellantis, Ford and Normal Motors.
Bargaining started on Aug. 10 when Unifor offered the three corporations with proposals.
Ford was chosen because the union’s goal on Aug. 29, so bargaining with the opposite two corporations is at the moment paused till a deal is reached with Ford — a deal that can turn out to be the sample for the agreements with the remaining corporations.
Replace comes as UAW prepares for attainable strike
The replace comes as members of the United Auto Employees, representing staff on the Detroit Three automakers in the USA, put together for a possible strike forward of a Thursday evening deadline.
Shawn Fain, president of UAW, has publicly slammed provides made by all three of the automakers and has indicated that members will conduct “stand-up strikes” the place small percentages of the union’s 146,000 members will stroll off the job.
He has not dominated out a broad strike of all members on the Detroit Three automakers, and such a strike would mark the primary time the union has struck all three corporations without delay.
Addressing the UAW negotiations, Payne stated she’d been in contact with Fain to supply Unifor’s “assist and solidarity.”
However Payne additionally pressured key variations between the 2 unions and their respective bargaining situations: She famous Canada’s entry to common healthcare, in addition to decrease wages and weaker employee safety legal guidelines in the USA.
“All of this accounts to utterly completely different political, social and financial context for our members,” she stated.
Different members of key Unifor bargaining committees additionally gave updates addressing questions they stated they have been receiving from members.
Union rejects provides on pensions
John D’Agnolo, the Ford grasp bargaining chair and president of Native 200 in Windsor, stated the corporate was “simply not there but.”
In delivering his replace, Shane Wark, Unifor assistant to the nationwide officers, stated the union’s calls for on pension enhancements for all members, each lively and retired, “stay on the bargaining desk” and are unaltered, he stated.
“However sadly as of at present, Ford has made minimal enchancment on pensions,” Wark stated. “In actual fact the motion was so insignificant the ERC [Unifor’s bargaining committee responsible for pensions] rejected their proposal outright on the very second it was acquired.”
The corporate has additionally made “aggressive” calls for on wages and wage grid enhancements, representatives stated.
