Windsor Assembly Plant marks four decades of making minivans amid labour negotiations

The Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant has been building minivans for 40 years.

But as workers mark the milestone by starting production on the 2024 Pacifica, labour negotiations are ongoing, even as workers prepare to be off the job later this month for extensive re-tooling at the facility.

"It's a big day for us," said Unifor Local 444 president Dave Cassidy said Friday."We're going to be the only facility that will be having the [internal combustion engine], the [plug-in hybrid electric vehicle] and the battery electric vehicle going on the same production line.

"There's exciting times for us and on top of that we have collective bargaining this local is always busy."

The plant will shutter Sept. 22 for re-tooling, and Cassidy estimated the plant would be back up and running Nov. 1.

The shutdown will start just days after the collective agreement binding workers expires Monday at 11:59 p.m.,

Negotiations on a new collective agreement for Canadian workers are "not close," the union's national president said Friday.

United Auto Workers strike Detroit 3

But record automaker profits make this a "perfect" time for the union to be negotiating, Cassidy said.

"We need to make sure that we're sharing in that," Cassidy said. "Our members deserve it. They've made these companies what they are today. They've made tons of profits. They know that and we need to close the gap that we have there."

On Thursday night, about 13,000 workers from three Detroit automaker plantswent on strikeat the expiration of their contract.

President Shawn Fain called the limited actions "stand-up strikes," though he did not rule out the possibility of mass strikes at all three Detroit automakers.

UAW workers rally in Detroit on day one of historic strike

1 year ago

Duration 2:15

For the first time, U.S. employees at each of the Big Three automakers hit the picket lines at the same time on Friday. On day one of the United Auto Workers strike, workers, their leaders and politicians including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Rashida Tlaib rallied in downtown Detroit. A Windsor Unifor member, Jamie Gilbert, said he joined the rally to show his support for the cause. The CBC's Chris Ensing reports.

The choice by the UAW of which plants to strike means there's not a likely immediate impact on theWindsor Assembly Plant, Cassidy added.

But the UAW strikes, and current lack of a deal, could change how Unifor approaches securing a deal of its own, Cassidy said, even though negotiations are happening separately.

"I think that they're going to have to reconsider where they're at until we get things across the river completed," Cassidy said.

"We don't want to come up with a deal if we get a deal prior to I mean the reality is their deadline was the 14th, ours is the 18th. They're still meeting and having the discussions and moving things forward. But now that they're on strike, I think it might put a little bit of a halt on us and it might punt them days down the road."

On Thursday night, Unifor national president Lana Payne said the union had rejected two economic offers from Ford and said the company had made minimal movement towardthe company's priorities on pensions, prompting the committee bargaining on the issue to reject offers outright.

"If I was to summarize the status of talks with Ford right now, I would say things are moving, but we are certainly not there yet," Payne said.

UAW demands would 'bankrupt' Ford, CEO says

The UAW has asked for 36 per cent wage increases and a 32-hour workweek among other demands.

Jim Farley, president of Ford Motor Company, recently told CNBC the union's demands would bankrupt the company.

That, Cassidy said, is just an example of bargaining in the media.

The UAW refuses to say which auto plants will strike next. Why? | About That

1 year ago

Duration 7:16

The union representing nearly 150,000 autoworkers is on strike against GM, Stellantis and Ford. Andrew Chang breaks down the impact of using rotating strikes and what the UAW is asking for from the automakers.

"But if I had a nickel for every time that an employer told me that we would send them bankrupt, I would be a rich man just like they are today," he said.

Unifor has declined to reveal both its specific proposals to the companiesas well as details of rejected offers.

Meanwhile GM CEO Mary Barra described the company's offer as "very compelling."

"I'm very frustrated because I think we had an offer that resonates with ourpeople,"Barrasaid on CNN.

Unifor bargaining with two of the three Detroit automakers, GM and Stellantis, is currently paused while Ford and Unifor first attempt to come to a deal that will set the pattern for the remaining two automakers.

UAW members on strike will hold a rally in Michigan Friday afternoon. Other UAW members will continue to work under expired contracts until a deal is reached or a broader strike is called by the union.