Collective bargaining talks kicked off Monday morning between Ford Motor Co. and Canada’s largest private sector union, which says it is anticipating the “most consequential round of auto bargaining” in its history.
Gathered in a conference room at a downtown Toronto hotel, negotiations officially got underway following a ceremonial handshake between Unifor national president Lana Payne and Meredith Keenan, vice-president of human resources at Ford of Canada.
Unifor, which represents nearly 19,000 Canadian autoworkers across the sector, typically uses pattern bargaining for its auto sector negotiations. The union chose Ford as its target to open the collective bargaining process, just as it did during the last round in 2023.
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Talks with Stellantis and General Motors are expected to come after a deal is reached with Ford.
Current deals signed by the Detroit Three automakers and Unifor three years ago are set to expire Sept. 20. The union is seeking another three-year contract with each company, and has set a July 10 deadline to come to terms with Ford.
The latest round of bargaining comes amid difficult conditions for the sector as it copes with U.S. tariffs, uncertainty linked to the future of CUSMA, and the introduction of Chinese electric vehicles into Canada.
The union has said it is keen to secure protections around job security with the auto manufacturing sector having lost nearly 6,500 total jobs since February 2025.
“There is no doubt that we face an unprecedented set of challenges here as we embark on these auto negotiations,” said Payne during a news conference, two hours after bargaining officially opened.
She said the union is focused on those negotiations despite outside “noise.” That includes “posturing by the United States” over the future of CUSMA, she said.
“The reality is that the automakers in the U.S. have been, I would say, very deliberate in terms of what they have been saying to the White House that they need a (CUSMA) agreement to continue,” said Payne.
She added it would have been too “risky” to wait for the dust to settle on the future of that trade deal before opening the bargaining process with the Detroit Three.
“The reality is that we have one job here and that’s to get a collective agreement in what are challenging times,” she said.
“We expect an agreement that protects jobs, as well as Ford’s commitment to auto manufacturing in Canada, and delivers real and meaningful improvements for the workers who have made this industry successful for more than a century.”
A 25 per cent tariff on all cars and trucks not built in the U.S., along with their parts, remains in place. CUSMA-compliant auto and truck parts are not currently subject to that levy.
Ford has said both stability and flexibility are key as it contends with an evolving landscape, citing rising costs, new competitors and shifting product demand that are reshaping its considerations around potential investments.
“We value our longstanding partnership with Unifor and begin these negotiations with deep respect for the collective bargaining process and the vital role our employees play in Ford’s success,” said Keenan in a news release.
“We look forward to constructive, good-faith discussions to reach a fair agreement with the goal of providing stability for our workforce while securing the long-term competitiveness of our Canadian manufacturing operations.”
Unifor, Ford Motor Company kick off contract talks
The company has touted its ongoing $5-billion spend to retool its Oakville, Ont., assembly plant to support the launch of its Ford Super Duty pick-up trucks. The funding has also gone toward Ford’s first stamping plant in Canada which it said will provide jobs for 100 employees at the site.
Other chunks of funding have been allocated to Ford’s Windsor facilities, including its Essex engine plant which is being expanded to support production of its 7.3-litre engine line.
Payne said Unifor was “encouraged” by the first day of talks with Ford and that it views the company as the best option “to get a solid agreement that we can then replicate with the other two automakers.”
Still, she acknowledged there is a long road ahead.
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Payne highlighted other challenges facing the sector, including new competition after the federal government opened the door to Chinese-made electric vehicles.
In a deal announced earlier this year, Ottawa pledged to reduce its 100 per cent tariff on Chinese EVs to 6.1 per cent, with an annual cap of 49,000 vehicles.
The union president said Canada can’t “become a market for vehicles only made somewhere else.”
“If we want an advanced manufacturing industry in Canada, it starts with building cars and trucks right here in this country,” she said.
For one former union president, the the key issue on the table for the collective bargaining talks is continual investment, ensuring workers are part of the company’s strategic plans for the next generation of engines or vehicles.
“It’s about having the companies commit to our operations in Canada and invest in those operations for the next generation of product,” Ken Lewenza, former president of the Canadian Auto Workers union, told CBC Radio’s Windsor Morning.
He says while the union has leverage in its ability to withdraw workers, the last thing the workers want is to go on strike.
Still, he’s confident the collective bargaining proceedings will go favourably, given Unifor’s history with Ford.
“There’s always been a pretty decent relationship with Ford Motor Company. It doesn’t mean that things are easy.”
