Big congrats to anyone who works for Ford on your big raise. Next round is on you!
Driving the news: Workers at Ford’s Canadian facilities voted to ratify a deal negotiated between their union, Unifor, and the automaker that includes a 15% wage increase over the next three years.
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Skilled tradespeople at Ford will earn $56 per hour by the end of the contract, up from $45 now.
- The deal also commits Ford to keep all of its Canadian facilities open for the duration of the contract, enhancing pension benefits, and providing income security for workers impacted by the transition to electric vehicles.
Why it matters: Unifor’s deal with Ford will set the tone for negotiations with the other two big North American carmakers, Stellantis and GM—and according to some experts, that’s a good thing for autoworkers at those companies.
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“There’s a lot of good in the Unifor-Ford deal. It’s the best we’ve seen in the [Canadian] auto sector for some time,” Brock University Labour Studies professor Larry Savage wrote.
Zoom out: The deal is also a relief for Ford, which is still working to negotiate an end to a limited strike by the United Auto Workers in the US that’s disrupted their production south of the border.—TS
