Overview
- Unifor began talks with Ford in Toronto this week, and the union set a July 10 target to reach a tentative three-year deal before existing contracts expire on Sept. 20.
- The union is using pattern bargaining, meaning the first contract with Ford will establish the standard that Unifor expects to carry into negotiations with General Motors and Stellantis.
- Unifor’s main demands are higher wages, stronger pensions and retirement security, and explicit protections for jobs and income in the new three-year agreements.
- Negotiators are working under major trade and market pressures, including U.S. 25% tariffs on non-U.S. content, uncertainty over USMCA renewal, and growing competition from Chinese electric-vehicle imports, which automakers can cite to press for concessions.
- The talks have high stakes for workers after about 6,500 auto jobs were lost since February 2025, Ford employs roughly 5,000 Canadian workers at Oakville, Windsor and Essex, and the union has said it will consider escalation if no tentative deal is reached by July 10.