Thousands of autoworkers in Canada could soon join their American counterparts on strike as a contract deadline with the Ford Motor Co. (F) fast approaches.
Autoworkers in Canada have voted unanimously in favour of a strike if an agreement is not reached with Ford by the deadline of today (September 18) at 11:59 p.m.
Canadian autoworkers could be on the picket lines as early as September 19 in the absence of a new collective agreement being reached.
Unifor, the union that represents Canadian autoworkers, said a new deal has not yet been reached with Ford despite the automaker extending two offers to the workers.
Thousands of autoworkers have walked off the job in the U.S. as collective bargaining with Ford, General Motors (GM) and Stellantis (STLA) failed to result in a new contract with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.
Improved pensions and higher wages are among the union’s key demands in both the U.S. and Canada, along with setting work standards for the electric vehicle transition that’s underway.
Unifor executives have said that worker unrest in Canada stems from a period of corporate profits that have not been passed down to rank-and-file employees who are struggling with higher living costs due to inflation.
The stocks of Ford and GM are each down more than 15% over the last 12 months, while the stock of Stellanits, which owns Chrysler, has gained 41% in the same time period.
