Unifor is within the early phases of mapping out its priorities forward of one other spherical of auto bargaining with Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Stellantis this fall.
Union President Lana Payne mentioned cost-of-living changes and earnings safety protections are more likely to be among the many high points for Unifor members, who’re dealing with excessive charges of inflation and lengthy intervals off-the-job as auto crops are retooled for electrical automobile manufacturing.
“People want to make sure they’re not falling behind, so I suspect you’re going to see those kinds of very basic economic issues being some of the priorities that we’re going to see at bargaining in August,” she instructed Automotive News Canada.
Payne mentioned she couldn’t delve too deeply into specifics as a result of she didn’t need to presume the calls for of members. Unifor’s inside course of to establish priorities begins with its locals this winter, earlier than widening to the union’s bargaining committees for every automaker, and representatives of the nationwide union this spring and summer time.
“They’re starting that work as we speak, to gather proposals from members and to really look at taking care of as much as possible the local bargaining issues before we get to the main bargaining table.”
Unifor represents roughly 22,000 hourly staff at Detroit Three meeting and powertrain crops in Canada. Most of those staff — with the notable exception of these at GM’s CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ont. — fall below the union’s key collective agreements with the Detroit Three. All three offers are set to run out Sept. 18.
PENSIONS A ‘PRIORITY’
Payne additionally highlighted a number of of the union’s priorities on the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s twenty eighth Annual Automotive Insights Symposium Jan. 12.
Pensions, she mentioned on the occasion, will probably be on the agenda.
“I can guarantee you, when you go 15 years without making substantial changes, that this is something that will be a priority.”
None of the Detroit Three automakers have been prepared to debate their priorities for bargaining.
GM Canada spokeswoman Jennifer Wright mentioned the corporate is waiting for talks this yr, however didn’t tackle whether or not the corporate has established any targets.
“We look forward to working with our Unifor partners to create a competitive labour contract for our Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock operations,” she wrote in an electronic mail.
Stellantis spokeswoman LouAnn Gosselin, likewise, mentioned the corporate shouldn’t be but able to share its bargaining priorities.
Likewise, Steven Majer, senior director and HR enterprise companion at Ford Canada, mentioned the corporate values its partnership with Unifor. Ford goals to construct on “our success in 2023 negotiations as we collectively deliver on our global Ford+ plan.” he mentioned in an emailed assertion.
UAW, UNIFOR TALKS COINCIDE
In addition to talks in Canada, the three automakers will probably be sitting right down to discount with the United Auto Workers union this fall. It is the primary time talks with the 2 unions representing Canadian and U.S. auto staff have coincided since earlier than Unifor was fashioned in 2013.
Unifor is awaiting the outcomes of UAW elections earlier than partaking in earnest on potential coordination with its counterpart within the United States, Payne instructed Automotive News Canada.
“We’ll continue to have good communications with them, no matter who their new team is, and try to work together as best we can to deliver for all of our members coming out of bargaining this year.”
When it involves coping with the Detroit Three, Unifor won’t be heading into talks spoiling for a battle, however will probably be powerful when it must be, Payne, who was elected to go the union in August, mentioned on the Chicago occasion.
“I never go into a round of bargaining — and I don’t think our committees do either, or our staff — thinking that this is going to end up in a dispute. I think that’s a wrong approach to take.”
Nevertheless, Payne added, talks are “always tough.”
“Let’s face it, these are some of the biggest corporations on the planet. This is not going to be a cakewalk.”
Source: canada.autonews.com