Unifor president says strike against Ford 'a strong possibility'

With a midnight deadline just hours away, it appeared ever more likely that Ford Motor Co. would face strikes on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.

The automaker on Monday night continued negotiations with Unifor, the union representing roughly 18,000 autoworkers at Ford, General Motors Co. and Stellantis NV. But at 7:30 p.m., just 4.5 hours until the current contract expires, union President Lana Payne signaled that a strike is likely, given that a tentative agreement still had not been reached.

Speaking during a news conference, Payne said that the union was "not where we need to be on key priority issues, including wages and pensions."

“A lot can happen in the final hours of deadline bargaining, and there is still a lot of negotiating to do. But we know where we stand here, and we are not wavering from our core priorities, especially pension improvements. We need Ford to deliver more to meet our members’ expectations and demands," she said. “This is not our desired outcome. However, I need Unifor members at Ford to understand that as of right now, this is a strong possibility.”

Negotiations would continue up until the very last minute, Payne said, but if an agreement isn't reached by then, the union will strike. She gave no indication that Unifor would agree to extend the current contract.

Payne, noting that the last time Unifor struck Ford was in 1990, also said that in the event of a strike, all approximately 5,600 Unifor-Ford members would walk out, including workers at Oakville Assembly Plant, two engine plants in Windsor, as well as at parts and distribution centers, and at office and technical units: “Everyone," she said. "Together.”

The engine plants in Windsor assemble engines for F-Series trucks and Mustangs. Oakville builds the Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus. Those shutdowns would undoubtedly ripple quickly across Ford's supply chain across North America, including to plants in the United States.

“Ours is a small but highly consequential footprint for Ford operations in North America, and this is our leverage," said Payne. "And we will use it.”

"We are hard at work at the bargaining table with Unifor to create a blueprint that leads our employees, our business, our customers, and our communities into the future," Ford spokesperson Said Deep said in a statement. "As Lana Payne said in her webcast last week to Unifor members, these discussions are best left at the bargaining table."

The deadline looms as a strike of all three Detroit automakers by the United Auto Workers in the United States rounds out its fourth day. The UAW struck three plants — a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan; a GM plant in Wentzille, Missouri; and Stellantis plant in Toledo, Ohio — early Friday.

Unifor in August announced that it had selected Ford to serve as the lead company with which it would bargain to model contracts with the other automakers.

Payne said at the time that she "saw the clearest path on what will be a historic EV retooling of the Oakville Assembly Plant" and that she was "encouraged by Ford Motor Co.’s transparency with our union on product programs and business plans."

Ford announced earlier this year that it would invest $1.3 billion to transform its Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario to assemble multiple electric vehicles and battery packs starting in 2025. The facility has about 3,000 employees.

Unifor represents 5,680 Ford members at the Oakville Assembly Plant, Windsor Annex Engine Plant, Essex Engine Plant, Bramalea and Paris Parts Distribution Centres, Casselman Parts Distribution Centre, Edmonton Parts Distribution Centre, and office and clerical workers in Windsor and Bramalea, according to the union.

Unifor members last month voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing strikes.

Payne has repeatedly emphasized that, despite bargaining with the Detroit automakers at the same time as the UAW for the first time in a generation, Unifor has its own strategies and priorities, separate from those of the UAW. Unifor has expressed solidarity with UAW members as they strike the Detroit automakers.

"Autoworkers in Canada and North America have a history of setting industry standards that extend past the Detroit Three. What we win at the bargaining table raises the bar for all working people. The jobs of unionized autoworkers go well beyond just building cars — they build strong, vibrant, communities on both sides of the border," Payne said in a letter Friday to UAW President Shawn Fain.

"Our own union’s bargaining teams at Ford, GM and Stellantis recognize that the current negotiations are taking place at a time where working people are seeking the strong pensions, fair wages and job security they all deserve. We support you in achieving a contract that meets these objectives for your members."

Unifor opened negotiations with Ford, GM and Stellantis Aug. 10. The union has said that pensions, wage increases, new plant investments and support for workers during the transition to electric vehicles are its top bargaining priorities.

jgrzelewski@detroitnews.com