If you work for Stellantis or Ford and your union is Unifor, Thursday is a big day.
Unifor starts official contract talks with the Big 3 automakers in Toronto. The negotiations began Thursday morning with the ceremonial exchange of documents, and a press conference was held Thursday afternoon.
National President Lana Payne said she is hoping that the automakers are ready to play ball.
"I made it very clear to the companies today, that our members' expectations are very high," said Payne. "Indeed, all workers' expectations throughout Canada are very high."
Payne reiterated the four core priorities for the talks, which are pensions, higher wages, and a secure future in the transition to electric vehicles. The fourth priority is securing product for plants.
She also added that workers are still feeling the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some facilities continuing a slow recovery from shutdowns, as well as work stoppages caused by ongoing part shortages.
Unifor unveiled 29 recommendations for governments and automakers in its auto policy document, "Navigating the Road Ahead: Rebuilding Canada's Powerhouse Auto Sector."
The union convened a special auto council in May to set bargaining priorities and announced the start of official contract talks in June.
At Stellantis, a key issue is the transition to electric vehicles.
"Autoworkers cannot be left behind during the retooling period our plants will go through as we transition to electric vehicle manufacturing," said Stellantis Master Bargaining Chair James Stewart. "We can't afford to lose any of the skills or knowledge our members have during this downtime. Many of the measures our members have already bargained will need to be enhanced and new ones created to navigate the road ahead."
Stellantis issued a statement Thursday afternoon ahead of the start of talks.
"Stellantis and Unifor have a long-standing history of working together. Collectively, our focus will be on negotiating an agreement that will ensure our future competitiveness in today’s rapidly changing global market, with good benefits and wage increases that reward the contributions of our represented workforce now and for generations to come," read the statement. "This is a significant time in the industry as we make the transition to electrification, and we must approach negotiations with a vision for the future. Stellantis has announced investments of over $8.6 billion in Canada over the last 18 months, with more than 3,000 new jobs and an anticipated return of the third shift at its Windsor and Brampton assembly plants."
Meanwhile, at Ford, the union hopes particular attention will be paid to pensions. Payne had hinted Thursday afternoon that Ford could be the original target of talks, though no decision has been made on that.
""For every union member working in an auto plant, whether they're new or nearing retirement, a strong pension should be the cornerstone of working at the Detroit Three," said Ford Master Bargaining Chair John D'Agnolo. "A lot has changed with higher costs for everything from food to rent. We need to address that for everyone with a pension plan that provides a decent standard of living now and in the future."
Stephen Majer, Vice-President of Human Resources for Ford Canada, also issued a statement.
"We value our partnership with Unifor and have important work to do together as we create a blueprint for the Canadian automotive industry," said Majer. "Navigating this new landscape means collaborating on what it will take for Ford and Unifor to compete and win, finding the right balance between investing in our collective future and sharing the value we create together."
Strike votes will be held on August 27 and 28, while the contracts expire at midnight on September 18.
With files from Mark Brown.
