On Wednesday, official negotiations began between Canadian autoworkers and Detroit’s Big Three Automobile Companies. Which includes Ford Motor Companies (NYSE:F), Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (NYSE:FCAU) as well as the general motors of Canada.
The negotiationsintense are mainly the preserving of jobs in one of the country’s most bedrock manufacturing industries. The union has inferred to this contract as potentially one of the most important contracts for this industry for the entire generation.
The negotiations that have commenced will actively involve the three major Detroit-based automakers. Today, talks will begin in Toronto involving the General Motors of Canada Company.
Further talks will commence on Thursday. The participants involved in Thursday’s negotiations include Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), as well as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (NYSE:FCAU).
Negotiators for Unifor, this is Canada’s largest private sector union are focused primarily on securing future product commitments.
Although it is expected that at least one U.S car company will fail to make this commitment before the contract expires mid-September. Jerry Dias, the national president of Unifor stated that no deals will be initiated with any of the companies until they have made an investment into Canada.
Furthermore, increasing their aim of securing future production for their Canadian plants.
An example of this comes in the form of GM plant in Oshawa, Ontario. As this plant’s future has been seen as risky since the company shifted the production of the Camaro to a plant in Michigan.
Dias further stated that until a solution has been found for both the GM facilities in Oshawa as well as St. Catherines, Ontario has been resolved no deal will commence.
The combination of the Gm factory in Oshawa, Ontario, and a Fiat Chrysler Sedan plant in nearby Brampton are the main focal point of the negotiations as together this makes up almost a fifth of the Canadian vehicle assembly industry according to external estimations.
Throughout the last 15 years, the auto sector workforce has diminished by over 53, 000 jobs. This is due to the shift of production to Mexico and largely the Southern U.S. Which is a direct explanation of the demands that Unifor is setting for the American Automobile companies.
