Unifor Local 444 president James Stewart says discussions are ongoing between the union, Stellantis, and the federal government. “There are still a lot of discussions going on with government, with Stellantis all behind the scenes, with ourselves,” says Stewart. “We are still communicating with the company.” Stewart, who is also the Unifor Stellantis Master Bargaining Chairperson, took to social media Tuesday morning to provide a bargaining update. He says not much has changed but says the union continues to talk with the automaker and the government. “However, we have not resumed bargaining at this point; we’re waiting for those discussions to end,” he says. “We expect and anticipate they will end shortly. We said that last week; they’re still ongoing. As soon as there’s a change in that status, we’ll let you know; nothing has moved forward but we are working on it. When there’s an update, we’ll make sure we’ll come on and give it to you. We’re still not in a strike position. We do appreciate the support from our members and for your patience.” As AM800 news reported earlier this month, Unifor said more than 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada voted 97.3 in favour of job action to back demands in a new contract. The union and the auto maker have been at an impasse since September 11. Unifor is not in a legal strike position, as neither Stellantis nor Unifor have requested a “no board” report. The future of the third shift in Windsor and the idled Brampton Assembly Plant remain key issues. There are 6,400 workers at the Windsor Assembly Plant, which assembles the Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Voyager, and Grand Caravan minivan, along with the Dodge Charger.
