A midnight ET deadline for a new labor contract at Ford plants in Canada with labor union Unifor passed without word of the status of the contracts.
Unifor’s most recent update, late on Monday night, said negotiations were ongoing.
“Negotiations between Unifor and Ford Motor Company are continuing with a late caucus meeting scheduled to take place within the hour,” the union said on its website. “A reminder that Unifor Ford members should remain on shift UNLESS they receive explicit instructions from the union indicating otherwise.”
The contract between Ford and Unifor was set to expire at 11:59 pm ET Monday, four days after US contracts expired between the United Auto Workers union and Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, the automaker that makes vehicles under the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler names.
The issues in the Canadian labor negotiations greatly mirrored the issues behind the UAW strike against the Big Three.
The union has been seeking improved wages and benefits for members, especially pension benefits, as well as job security guarantees as the automakers prepare to shift their lineup of vehicles from traditional gasoline powered cars to electric vehicles, or EVs, in the years and decades ahead. EVs typically take about 30% less labor than a traditional car to assemble, due to having fewer moving parts. Many engine and transmission plants are at risk since their products won’t be needed in an EV.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
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