A worker polishes a 2026 Ford Super Duty F-250 XLT at an auto show in Vancouver, British Columbia. (James Macdonald/Bloomberg)
key takeaways:
- Unifor began contract negotiations with Ford in Canada, demanding higher wages, retirement benefits and job security ahead of the July 10 deadline.
- The negotiations come as tariffs and USMCA uncertainty weigh on Canada’s auto industry, where Unifor represents 5,150 Ford workers.
- Unifor hopes the Ford agreement could set a pattern for negotiations with General Motors and Stellantis this year.
Canadian union Unifor is demanding higher wages and retirement benefits as well as better job security from Ford Motor Co. in contract talks amid uncertainty over North American trade.
Unifor, which represents 5,150 Ford workers in Canada, has set July 10 as a deadline to reach an agreement. The talks are the first in a series of union talks for the three biggest US automakers.
The tariffs have roiled the Canadian auto industry since they were enacted by President Donald Trump in April 2025, as most of the country’s passenger car and truck production is exported to the U.S. General Motors Co. and Chrysler parent Stellantis NV have reduced their Canadian production in response.
Ford’s only assembly plant in Canada was idle for retooling work when the tariffs arrived. The company, which reported a decline in pickup truck deliveries in the first quarter due to a fire at a major supplier, plans to build Super Duty trucks at the factory.
“Any distractions created by tariffs, Trump or the economy will in no way lower the standard of meeting the agreement,” John D’Agnolo, chair of Unifor for Ford bargaining, told reporters during a press conference in Toronto on June 22.
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement sets the rules for auto manufacturing on the continent, and the three countries are set to formally review the deal this year. Trump said on June 10 that he would not sign the USMCA renewal, setting the stage for months or years of negotiations over its terms. Unless reauthorized, it is set to expire in 2036.
Unifor national president Lana Payne said it would be too risky to wait to bargain with Ford and other automakers until the USMCA situation is resolved.
The Canadian government is giving Ford C$464.5 million ($328 million) to finance the retooling of an assembly plant in the Toronto suburb of Oakville, Ontario, which was closed to regular vehicle production in 2024. The facility was slated to produce electric vehicles before Ford changed its EV strategy and converted it to heavy-duty pickups.
Payne said he’s encouraged by his talks with Ford so far. The union’s goal is to reach an agreement with the Dearborn, Michigan-based company that could be used as a precedent in negotiations with General Motors and Stellantis this year.
“We look forward to constructive, good-faith discussions to reach a fair agreement with the goal of providing stability for our workforce while securing the long-term competitiveness of our Canadian manufacturing operations,” Ford said in a statement.
