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Unifor members,
The union is now less than five days from the bargaining deadline with FCA. Talks continue to progress, although at a slower pace than the Master and Local Bargaining Committees had hoped. Company officials continue to review the details of the Ford pattern settlement along with various other FCA-specific proposals tabled by the Union, on behalf of the members. The union, in turn, continues to review numerous proposals submitted by the Company – all with the view that Unifor will not deviate from the pattern.
Investment in FCA facilities
One of the slowest moving issues at the bargaining table is on investment. FCA has so far expressed a general commitment to its operations in Canada, including manufacturing vehicles and casting parts. However, the Union is looking for specific investment and product allocation commitments to secure FCA’s Canadian footprint. Over the weekend, FCA officials from Auburn Hills will be joining talks and the committees expect much deeper discussions on these matters at that time.
New COVID-19 restrictions
Over the past number of days, the province of Ontario has set record highs for new cases of COVID-19, including 939 reported cases on October 9, 2020 alone. Yesterday, Premier Doug Ford announced temporary measures to address the rapid spike in virus transmissions, resulting in new restrictions imposed in certain regions. This includes the City of Toronto, where contract talks are taking place.
It is important for members to know there will be no significant change to the bargaining process resulting from the new public safety measures. Talks will continue as planned.
When designing safety protocols for 2020 Auto Talks, Unifor took all necessary precautions in anticipation of a second wave. In-person meetings will be strictly limited to no more than 10 people (union and company combined). Sanitization of all workspaces in the hotel, along with social distancing measures and the strict use of personal protective equipment, will continue. The only notable change is that early morning internal caucus meetings will now occur online, to accommodate the dozens of Unifor participants.
All Unifor committee members and staff will remain vigilant in adhering to health and safety protocols as negotiations progress. These safety protocols are under constant review by expert union staff, in consultation with health officials and the Sheraton Centre Hotel.
The union will continue to report on progress of talks with members over the days, and will relay as much information on the status of talks as possible. Our objective is to be as open and transparent with members as possible, without undermining the integrity of the bargaining process. Please stay tuned for further updates.
