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Unifor says thousands of its members employed by automaker Stellantis are on strike after a contract deal could not be reached by deadline late Sunday.
The union made the announcement just after midnight Monday. It said talks would continue despite its 8,200 members — most of whom are in southern Ontario — going on the picket line.
“We have made progress and we will continue to negotiate through the night,” the union said in a statement from national president Lana Payne and other leaders.
LouAnn Gosselin, the head of communications for Stellantis in Canada, said the company was “extremely disappointed.”
“We will continue to bargain in good faith until an agreement is reached. We look forward to getting everyone back to work as soon as possible,” Gosselin said in a statement.
In Windsor, Ont., picketers faced rain and single-digit temperatures as the strike action began.
Mike D’Agnolo, vice-president of Unifor Local 444, which represents workers in Windsor, was among those on the picket line.
“Our members have made it quite clear what they’re worth and our team in Toronto is trying to achieve that for them,” D’Agnolo said.
Stellantis, known for brands including Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge, is the last of the Detroit Three automakers to negotiate with the union since talks began in August.
Ratified deals are already in place for Ford and General Motors workers in Canada. A strike at GM earlier this month lasted less than a day.
Stellantis has an assembly plant in Windsor, which makes minivans including the Chrysler Pacifica, as well as an assembly plant in Brampton, Ont., responsible for the Dodge Challenger, Charger and Chrysler 300 models.
It also has a plant in Toronto’s Etobicoke neighbourhood that makes die castings, and parts distribution facilities in Mississauga, Ont., and Red Deer, Alta.
Unifor has said one of its priorities is securing bargaining rights for workers at the upcoming NextStar electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, which is set to create 2,500 jobs. The plant is expected to open sometime next year.
The union has also highlighted protecting jobs in the transition to electric and securing new vehicles for production in Brampton.
Unifor and Stellantis have been at the table for about two weeks. The union is negotiating with the automakers through pattern bargaining, where an agreement with one company sets the template for the others.
Unifor has called on Stellantis to meet that pattern deal. It includes what the union calls record-setting pay increases, with starting wages set at nearly $30 per hour and the return of a cost-of-living allowance. There’s also enhancements to pensions and benefits.
Specific to Stellantis, the union said it was advocating for protection against outsourcing at parts distribution centres among other priorities.
In a video update on Friday night, Payne said that earlier on during bargaining, the company had offered concessions that broke the contract pattern set in the deals with the other automakers. But the two sides had moved closer together on Friday, she said.
“The deals we reached with Ford and GM formed a strong pattern that delivers impressive gains for Canadian autoworkers, including industry-leading wages, pensions and benefits,” she said at the time.
U.S. Stellantis workers reach deal
The Stellantis strike in Canada comes just days after the United Auto Workers union — which has been conducting strikes at select U.S. auto plants — reached a tentative deal with Stellantis.
Asked about the significance of the number strikes in Canada this year, including the 192-day long strike at Windsor Salt, D’Agnolo said the union is going to stand up for its members to achieve collective agreements that reflect the times.
“These times dictate better wages, better pensions, better everything across the board,” he said. “And when companies are making what they make, it’s time for them to step up.”
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