Unifor members at Stellantis vote 97.3% for strike mandate
Unifor members at Stellantis, including Windsor Assembly workers, voted 97.3% to authorize strike action if needed. A mandate doesn't start a strike; Unifor says it isn't in a legal strike position. Stellantis says it's committed to bargaining in good faith.
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Unifor members at Stellantis have voted 97.3 per cent in favour of authorizing strike action, if needed, the union announced Monday, Oct. 19.
The strike authorization votes were held Oct. 17 and 18, after talks with Stellantis reached an impasse in September. The vote covered Unifor's Stellantis members at sites in Windsor and Toronto and at the idled Brampton Assembly Plant, CBC News reported. The Windsor Assembly Plant has about 6,400 workers.
What the vote does and does not do
A strike authorization gives the bargaining committee the authority to call a strike if necessary. Unifor says it does not automatically mean a strike will take place.
The union says it is not in a legal strike position at this time, because neither Stellantis nor Unifor has requested a "No Board" report, one of the steps required under labour law before job action. No strike date has been set.
What both sides said
"Our members are united in their determination to reach a fair agreement with Stellantis that protects jobs for Canadian autoworkers," Unifor national president Lana Payne said.
James Stewart, president of Unifor Local 444 and chair of the union's Stellantis master bargaining committee, said strike action "is always a last resort." He said the union believes there is a path to a fair collective agreement "so long as the company honours its commitments."
Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin told CBC News the company "remains committed to bargaining in good faith and is prepared to continue discussions toward a negotiated agreement."
Where things stand
Unifor has said the unresolved issues include the future of the idled Brampton Assembly Plant, which Stellantis has said it plans to sell to Roshel, and the core economic pattern the union reached with Ford and General Motors. The previous collective agreement expired Sept. 20.
The Windsor Assembly Plant builds the Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Voyager and Grand Caravan minivans and the Dodge Charger. Stellantis has said the plant will be down the weeks of Oct. 19 and 26 and Nov. 2, citing consumer demand and tariffs.
Unifor says it will post bargaining updates at autotalks.ca.
