Ford Faces UAW Strike In US, Now It May Have To Contend With Another In Canada

As Detroit-based automaker Ford Motor Co F continues to reel under the impact of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union’s strike in the U.S., Canada’s Unifor union is gearing up for a strike against it.

What Happened: Unifor said on Sunday that despite negotiations, the union has not reached a tentative agreement with Ford. A strike would commence if the company fails to reach an agreement by Sept. 18, 11: 59 p.m.

Unifor opened negotiations with all three Detroit automakers- Ford, General Motors Co GM and Stellantis NV STLA- in early August for better pay and pensions. However, it decided to concentrate on Ford on nearing contract expiry. Once a collective agreement is reached with Ford, it can set the ground for contracts with GM and Stellantis, it said.

In this bargaining round, Unifor is negotiating on behalf of 18,000 autoworkers including 5,680 Ford members at the Oakville Assembly Plant, Annex Engine Plant, Essex Engine Plant, Bramalea and Paris Parts Distribution Centres, Casselman Parts Distribution Centre, Edmonton Parts Distribution Centre, and office and clerical workers in Windsor and Bramalea.

"Ford was selected as the target because we believe that the company is in the best position to reach an agreement that delivers on the needs of our members and sets a strong pattern for Canada's auto industry," the union previously said.

However, the union said in a statement on Sunday that the automaker and it ‘remain far apart’ and recommended Unifor members at the auto company to be prepared for all scenarios including strike action.

Why It Matters: The UAW union’s simultaneous strike against the Detroit three in the U.S. kickstarted on Friday midnight and has completed three days thus far with no end in sight.

Unifor extended solidarity to UAW autoworkers on Friday and said, “It is never an easy decision for working people to take strike action in the pursuit of a fair collective agreement. The withdrawal of [labor] is the cornerstone of free and fair collective bargaining.”

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