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Canadian Union Presses Ford for Higher Pay, Job Security
Unifor Talks Cover 5,150 Workers as Tariffs Weigh on North American Auto Trade
Key Takeaways:
- Unifor began contract talks with Ford in Canada, seeking higher pay, retirement benefits and job security before a July 10 deadline.
- The talks come as tariffs and USMCA uncertainty pressure Canada’s auto industry, where Unifor represents 5,150 Ford employees.
- Unifor hopes a Ford agreement can set a pattern for negotiations with General Motors and Stellantis this year.
Canadian union Unifor is seeking higher pay and retirement benefits as well as better job security from Ford Motor Co. in contract negotiations taking place under a pall of uncertainty over North American trade.
Unifor, which represents 5,150 Ford employees in Canada, has set July 10 as the deadline to reach an agreement. The talks are the first in a series of union negotiations for the three large U.S. automakers.
Tariffs have rocked the Canadian auto industry since they were enacted by President Donald Trump in April 2025, as most of the country’s passenger car and truck production is exported to the U.S. General Motors Co. and Chrysler parent Stellantis NV pared their Canadian production in response.
Ford’s lone assembly plant in Canada was idle for retooling work when the tariffs came in. The company, which reported a drop in pickup truck deliveries in the first quarter because of fires at a key supplier, is planning to build Super Duty trucks at the factory.
“There is no doubt we face an unprecedented set of challenges as we embark on these auto negotiations. I want to put something clearly on the record: we are here to make progress for our members,” says @Lanampayne on start of negotiations with Ford. pic.twitter.com/Ijb7wndOPw — Unifor (@UniforTheUnion) June 22, 2026
“None of the distractions created by tariffs, by Trump, or the economy will lower in any way the standard to which the agreement must be met,” John D’Agnolo, Unifor’s chairman for Ford bargaining, told reporters during a news conference in Toronto on June 22.
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement sets out the rules for auto manufacturing on the continent, and the three countries are set to formally review the deal this year. Trump said June 10 he wouldn’t sign off on USMCA renewal, setting the stage for months or years of negotiations over its terms. It’s scheduled to expire in 2036 unless it’s reauthorized.
Unifor National President Lana Payne said it would be too risky to wait to bargain with Ford and the other automakers until after the USMCA situation is settled.
The Canadian government is giving Ford C$464.5 million ($328 million) to finance the retooling of the assembly plant in the Toronto suburb of Oakville, Ontario, which was closed for regular vehicle production in 2024. The facility was set to produce electric vehicles before Ford overhauled its EV strategy and switched it over to heavy-duty pickups.
Payne said she’s encouraged by the talks with Ford so far. The union is aiming to strike a deal with the Dearborn, Mich.-based company that can be used as a precedent in negotiations with General Motors and Stellantis this year.
“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,” Ford said in a statement.
