Unifor Picks Ford Motor Company as Target for Pattern Bargaining

Unifor has announced the auto marker it plans to target to establish pattern bargaining in the Detroit Three auto talks.

National President Jerry Dias says the union has selected Ford Motor Company.

He made the announcement Tuesday morning in Toronto.

"We have 6,300 members that work in the varies Ford facilities and the bottom line is the group that I think is the most vulnerable are our members in Oakville and they deserve the right to determine their own fate," says Dias.    

He says with the Ford Edge expected to roll off the assembly line in 2023, the union has not received a firm commitment from the auto maker.

"So the biggest obstacle for us today I will argue is Ford in Oakville based on the end of production of the Ford Edge but I will also argue that based on our conversations it also creates the biggest opportunity," says Dias.    

Dias adds he's quite comfortable and confident in the master bargaining committee representing the varies Ford local unions.

"We are certainly looking to put into a place a three year collective agreement," says Dias.  "So our priorities are clearly product, security, the term of agreement and of course general economics."    

The strike deadline is set for September 21 at midnight.