Canadian workers union Unifor reached a tentative agreement with Chrysler parent Stellantis NV STLA on Monday, hours after it commenced a strike against the automaker.
What Happened: The union reached a tentative agreement at around 7 a.m. local time on Monday following overnight negotiations with the company after workers started a strike at midnight.
Unifor represents over 8,200 workers at Stellantis across the Windsor Assembly Plant, Brampton Assembly Plant, Etobicoke Casting Plant, Red Deer Parts Distribution Centre and Mississauga Parts Distribution Centre. The automaker employs the most number of workers in Canada amongst the ‘Detroit three’ automakers.
“The agreement puts in place all the elements of our pattern agreement, the protections autoworkers need throughout the EV transition, and next-generation products our members will build for years to come,” Unifor Stellantis Master Bargaining Chair James Stewart said.
Reiterating the challenges in the negotiations, Unifor National President Lana Payne said, “There were many challenges in this round of bargaining including flat out resistance to many elements of the pattern agreement that we had previously reached with Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Stellantis came to the table aggressively and with demands to outsource work along with other concessions.”
Under the new tentative agreement, production workers will get a nearly 19% increase in base hourly wage while those in skilled trades will get nearly 25% hike over three years, Payne added. The agreement is yet to be ratified by the workers.
Why It Matters: The union opened negotiations with all three Detroit automakers in early August for better pay and pensions. However, it decided to concentrate on Ford on nearing contract expiry. The idea was to reach an agreement with Ford, which could set the ground for contracts with the other two. The union has already managed to ratify new agreements with Ford and GM.
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