The president of Unifor Local 200 is openly accusing another local of not standing with its union brothers and sisters in talks with Ford.
A statement posted on Facebook over the weekend states, "At a time when we should be focused on fighting the employer for a contract and securing the future of good union jobs, negotiations and our collective futures are being gambled on by the Local 707 bargaining committee."
Courtesy of Unifor Local 200 on Facebook.
Local 707 represents workers at Ford's assembly plant in Oakville.
BlackburnNews.com has reached out for comment from both Unifor Local 200 President Chris Taylor, and the head of Unifor Local 707, Dave Thomas.
The division in the ranks comes at a perilous time for workers at the engine plant in Windsor. The strike deadline in negotiations with Ford is 11:59pm Monday. Workers are set to walk off the job at 12:01am Tuesday if their union can not reach a tentative agreement.
The statement continues to say, "The Oakville leadership is telling the entire Ford bargaining committee that they will not agree to the pattern even if it contains improvements."
"The implications of demanding more than the pattern agreement have been clearly laid out by Ford. The company is stating that it will not do business in a jurisdiction that has Ford paying more than their competitors. Ford has gone further to say that if there is a strike based on wanting more than the pattern economics, it will reconsider their Canadian facilities and will exit Canadian operations."
On Friday, Taylor told BlackburnNews.com that the company was resisting the pattern set by General Motors and Fiat-Chrysler over the pay grid for new hires. He said it was Ford's interpretation that it would put it at a disadvantage competitively.
As for the latest development, the statement to members says, "We have never seen a bargaining committee that openly gamble on the future of all Canadian operations and call a bluff."
As the clock ticks down to the strike deadline, Taylor has told BlackburnNews.com he still holds out hope for a deal.
"Nobody wants a strike. Nobody needs a strike," he said.
While the pay grid for new hires appears to be taking a front seat, investment in the local engine plant remains a key issue in negotiations. Currently, 1,500 people work at the facility, and another 200 are on layoff. Taylor has said without a commitment to new investment; the plant could close.
"It will take major investment in Windsor to make sure we're going to get there," he said.
In the meantime, workers are ready to set up picket lines.
"We have strike duties assigned to each and every one of our members," Taylor said.
Local 200 has scheduled a meeting for 3pm Sunday, November 6 at the Caboto Club. A notice to the membership says leadership will either present a tentative deal for ratification or provide a strike update.
-With files from Maureen Revait
