Official talks between Unifor and Stellantis began on Oct. 18, with a strike deadline set for Oct. 29 just before midnight. The news follows the union’s recent discussions with General Motors, and prior to that with Ford.
“Our union is looking forward to this next, and final round of talks with the Detroit automakers to secure the terms of our Canadian pattern and to make important additional gains on various Stellantis-specific workplace issues,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne in a statement.
She added that they have the added challenge of negotiating future product commitments for the Brampton Assembly plant, which she said secures a future for “all of our Stellantis members in the (electric vehicle) transition.”
Unifor said its negotiations will focus on Stellantis following the pattern agreement that was set with Ford of Canada and GM.
The union represents more than 8,200 members at Stellantis facilities in Canada. These include the Windsor Assembly Plant, Brampton Assembly Plant, Etobicoke Casting Plant, and Mississauga Parts Distribution Centre — all of which are in Ontario. The Red Deer Parts Distribution Centre, also included in the list, is located in Alberta.
Overall the union, Canada’s largest in the private sector, represents 315,000 workers in all major areas of the economy.
Stellantis moved its Aug. 10 news release about the Unifor labour negotiations to the top of its Canadian newsroom. In it, the OEM states that during negotiations, “both parties must continue to work together and find creative solutions that meet the needs of today’s workforce while maintaining efficient and productive workplaces.”
