Windsor's mayor believes tentative deal between Stellantis and Unifor is good for the community

Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens is happy to hear a tentative deal has been reached between Unifor and Stellantis.

Speaking on AM800's The Morning Drive, Dilkens says the seven hour strike was unnerving but believes the tentative deal is good for the employees, the company and the community.

"As our largest employer there's over 3,500 men and women who work at the Windsor Assembly Plant and so having even a seven hour strike for 8,200 people in the province was a little unnerving especially with all the excitement that we have in front of us at the moment," he says.  "I hope that it works for the employees because they do a great job, produce great quality vehicles here in Windsor and we got such a bright future ahead."

Dilkens says he remembers the pain the workers had to go through during the recessions and the concessions they had to make.

"There was a lot given back by the employees to help that employer stay alive and so we see just the opposite thing happening today where the employer is certainly seeing great success and it was right for the union to push for a return of some of the benefits that they gave back many years ago," says Dilkens.

As AM800 news reported on Monday, a tentative deal was reached between the auto maker and the union after more than 82-hundred workers, including those at the Windsor Assembly Plant, walked out just after midnight when the two sides failed to reach a deal.

Unifor National President Lana Payne said the tentative deal includes the core economic pattern on wages, pensions, investments, as well as electric vehicle transition supports that were achieved in deals with Ford and General Motors.

Unionized Windsor Assembly Plant workers will meet Saturday morning at Caesars Windsor for the ratification meeting.