Following an eleventh hour deal with Ford late last night, the Canadian Auto Workers union has agreed to extend contract talks with General Motors and Chrysler. The CAW came to terms with Ford on a four-year labor deal just before its current contract expired on Monday night.
The CAW agreed on Tuesday to extend its deadline with GM and Chrysler indefinitely, indicating a work stoppage could be avoided altogether. The CAW also agreed to give a 24-hour notice if a strike is ultimately required to move the situation along.
“We can still provide the companies 24 hours notice if in fact we want to strike,” CAW President Ken Lewenza told Bloomberg. “Since day one we weren’t looking for a strike we were looking for a settlement.”
Ford's tentative four-year labor deal with the union eliminated cost of living raises in favor of bonuses. The deal also guarantees 600 new jobs for the CAW.
Deals with GM and Chrysler, which employ about 14,200 workers in Canada, will likely follow the blueprint laid out by the Ford contract.
