Steel Products

Unifor, Ford Extend Negotiations for 24 Hours, Put Off Possible Strike

Written by Ethan Bernard

September 19, 2023

Unifor, which represents union auto workers in Canada, has extended negotiations with Ford, thus delaying a potential strike.

The deadline for contract talks – Monday, Sept. 18, at 11:59 pm — has passed. But Unifor said it was continuing discussions with Ford for another day.

“The union received a substantive offer from the employer minutes before the deadline and bargaining is continuing throughout the night,” Unifor said in a statement.

However, the union also noted that its members would remain ready to strike.

Separately, Ford issued a press release on Tuesday regarding the deadline extension.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with Unifor to create a blueprint for the automotive industry that supports a vibrant and sustainable future in Canada,” Steven Majer, VP of human resources of Ford Motor Co, of Canada, said in the statement.

Unifor’s counterpart in the US, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, is currently on strike against all “Detroit Three” automakers — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.

Unifor took a more traditional approached. It selected one automaker, Ford, as the targeted automaker in labor negotiations.

The Canadian union’s membership is smaller than that of the UAW. So is the number of workers that it could call on to go on strike.

Unifor represents approximately 5,680 auto workers at Ford in Canada. The UAW represents roughly 150,000 across the Big Three, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA. in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

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