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Ford Motor Company and Unifor have reached a tentative three-year labour contract — although details will be shared later.
Unifor covers roughly 5,000 workers at five plants in southern Ontario and one in Alberta.
Negotiations began at the end of last month — at the same time deals at all three of the big American automakers, including Stellantis and General Motors were set to expire.
The union opted to negotiate with Ford first and is expected to begin with the other two automakers after the Ford agreement is ratified.
Ford workers will have their say on the contract between July 17 and 19, according to Unifor, with results released following the final voted.
To respect the ratification process, Ford of Canada said in a statement it will not discuss the specifics of the tentative agreement.
“We look forward to bringing this tentative agreement to our members,” said Unifor Ford Master Bargaining Chair John D’Agnolo of Windsor, Ont.
“Our members put in the work on the shop floor every day, and our entire negotiating team made sure that work was recognized at the bargaining table.”
Unifor began negotiations with Ford last month, commencing talks on new contracts with Detroit’s Big Three automakers: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis — seeking better pay, job security and benefits for its nearly 19,000 members at those companies.
The union said last month it had started with Ford because the automaker has been most committed to continuing its operations in Canada.
The agreement is subject to ratification by Ford-Unifor members.
Existing collective agreements between Unifor and the automakers expire on September 20.
The union began talks earlier than usual, citing worsening economic conditions.
Some 6,000 workers have been laid off across plants owned by the three automakers as the companies have shifted or paused production at several facilities.
