Click for more Unifor.
“After a short strike throughout the night Unifor has reached now a tentative agreement with Stellantis. The deal came about around 7:00 AM this morning, after bargaining throughout the night. And yes, as you can tell, all of those here are tired, but also very, very proud of the work that we’ve done for Canadian auto workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne late this afternoon at a hotel in Toronto.
Flanked by James Stewart, Stellantis Master Bargaining Chair (l) and Vito Beato (R) Stellantis Master Bargaining Acting Vice-Chairperson, Payne said, “I want to be clear, 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. It became very clear as we approached our midnight deadline last night that there were still way too many unresolved items, including issues at local and sub-tables.
“We also needed to ensure a strong EV transition support for our members at Brampton Assembly plant, given the length of their retooling period, and we did this. And by the way, this is a model for sectors and other industries who will also be going through transition.
“But despite very good progress we had run out of time. And the deadline was the deadline. So we took strike action in order to get this tentative agreement across the finish line. It includes the core economic pattern on wages and pensions investments, as well as EV transition supports achieved with Ford and General Motors.
“This deal, which we will present to our Members at ratification meetings over the weekend also includes a number of Stellantis-specific improvements, including work practices, investments and special measures for workers at Windsor Assembly, who have been navigating their own EV plant retool.
“We also had extensive talks on the options on the joint-venture battery plant in which Stellantis is a minority shareholder…. Our objectives around this plant are crystal clear. These will be good union jobs that pay autoworker wages. And they will be Unifor members…. this agreement has been recommended by our bargaining committees from across the Stellantis chain – from assembly plants, to parts depots, office, clerical, engineering and security units, as well as our skilled trades.
I’m very proud of our members at every Stellantis facility for their quick and decisive action during this brief, but effective strike action. This agreement will considerably improve living standards of every single Unifor member at Stellantis. Our goal was to achieve investments and job security for our members for the years and decades to come.
“Stellantis has made written commitments to us to deliver investments of more than $3 billion in our facilities and we have a clear road map now on Windsor and Brampton Assembly plants – both are expected to return to three shifts, and also on our Etobicoke Casting Plant where we will also see an increase in employment over the term of this agreement.
“We also, very importantly, fended off outsourcing of jobs at our parts distribution centers. And elimination of jobs in our office and engineering units. We were very, very clear to Stellantis there would be no concessions in this agreement and protecting those office and engineering jobs became one of the last items achieved at our bargaining table this morning.
“Of the three Detroit automakers in Canada, Stellantis has the biggest workforce and the most vehicle products manufactured in this country. This new tentative agreement covers as I’ve said 8200 uniformed members at Windsor Assembly plant representing locals 444195 and 1498; Brampton Assembly Plant local 1285 ; Etobicoke casting local 1459; and parts distribution centers in Mississauga, Local 1285 and Red Deer Local 815.
“In terms of next steps, we will present the details of this tentative agreement to our Stellantis membership on Friday for ratification. Meetings will be held through Saturday and Monday,” said Lana Payne.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Unifor Stellantis Agreement Good for All Workers in Transition
Click for more Unifor.
“After a short strike throughout the night Unifor has reached now a tentative agreement with Stellantis. The deal came about around 7:00 AM this morning, after bargaining throughout the night. And yes, as you can tell, all of those here are tired, but also very, very proud of the work that we’ve done for Canadian auto workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne late this afternoon at a hotel in Toronto.
Flanked by James Stewart, Stellantis Master Bargaining Chair (l) and Vito Beato (R) Stellantis Master Bargaining Acting Vice-Chairperson, Payne said, “I want to be clear, 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. It became very clear as we approached our midnight deadline last night that there were still way too many unresolved items, including issues at local and sub-tables.
“We also needed to ensure a strong EV transition support for our members at Brampton Assembly plant, given the length of their retooling period, and we did this. And by the way, this is a model for sectors and other industries who will also be going through transition.
“But despite very good progress we had run out of time. And the deadline was the deadline. So we took strike action in order to get this tentative agreement across the finish line. It includes the core economic pattern on wages and pensions investments, as well as EV transition supports achieved with Ford and General Motors.
“This deal, which we will present to our Members at ratification meetings over the weekend also includes a number of Stellantis-specific improvements, including work practices, investments and special measures for workers at Windsor Assembly, who have been navigating their own EV plant retool.
“We also had extensive talks on the options on the joint-venture battery plant in which Stellantis is a minority shareholder…. Our objectives around this plant are crystal clear. These will be good union jobs that pay autoworker wages. And they will be Unifor members…. this agreement has been recommended by our bargaining committees from across the Stellantis chain – from assembly plants, to parts depots, office, clerical, engineering and security units, as well as our skilled trades.
I’m very proud of our members at every Stellantis facility for their quick and decisive action during this brief, but effective strike action. This agreement will considerably improve living standards of every single Unifor member at Stellantis. Our goal was to achieve investments and job security for our members for the years and decades to come.
“Stellantis has made written commitments to us to deliver investments of more than $3 billion in our facilities and we have a clear road map now on Windsor and Brampton Assembly plants – both are expected to return to three shifts, and also on our Etobicoke Casting Plant where we will also see an increase in employment over the term of this agreement.
“We also, very importantly, fended off outsourcing of jobs at our parts distribution centers. And elimination of jobs in our office and engineering units. We were very, very clear to Stellantis there would be no concessions in this agreement and protecting those office and engineering jobs became one of the last items achieved at our bargaining table this morning.
“Of the three Detroit automakers in Canada, Stellantis has the biggest workforce and the most vehicle products manufactured in this country. This new tentative agreement covers as I’ve said 8200 uniformed members at Windsor Assembly plant representing locals 444195 and 1498; Brampton Assembly Plant local 1285 ; Etobicoke casting local 1459; and parts distribution centers in Mississauga, Local 1285 and Red Deer Local 815.
“In terms of next steps, we will present the details of this tentative agreement to our Stellantis membership on Friday for ratification. Meetings will be held through Saturday and Monday,” said Lana Payne.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.