Unifor will hold a strike vote for members at Stellantis plants after talks reached an impasse. The union announced Tuesday afternoon that votes will be held over two days beginning on Oct. 17. In an interview with CTV News, James Stewart, President of Unifor Local 444, said the vote is meant to send the company a message that members are “determined to get a resolve.” “What it means is the members are showing Stellantis that they’re committed to getting a good agreement. We don’t just wield a strike around like a sword,” Stewart said. Talks stalled Sept. 11 after 10 days of negotiations, with the key issue being job security, including at the idled Brampton Assembly Plant, which Stellantis wants to sell to Canadian armoured vehicle maker, Roshel. Stellantis had previously committed to invest in Jeep production at the Brampton plant. Across Stellantis facilities, Stewart said the union wants to make sure the company knows it cannot “renege” on its promises. “So, the problem today is we don’t have things locked in to protect for Windsor, the third shift at Windsor, the whole Windsor assembly plant, as a matter of fact,” Stewart said. “So, if we just walk away from Brampton, it means anything we do get through this course of bargaining for Brampton or for Windsor isn’t secure because they can walk away from their agreements and we can’t allow Stellantis to do that.” Unifor Local 444 represents over 6,400 workers at the Windsor Assembly Plant, which assembles the Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Voyager, and Grand Caravan minivan, along with the Dodge Charger. The current collective agreement expired Sept. 20. Though a strike authorization vote would give the bargaining committee the authority to tell members to hit the picket lines, Stewart is hopeful it will lead to a fair deal for workers. “We need the company to know that our members are serious about getting a resolve that includes security for the Windsor assembly plant. That includes living up to your commitments,” he said. In a statement to CTV News, Stellantis said: “Unifor has initiated the next step in the collective bargaining process and announced plans to conduct a strike authorization vote. Stellantis remains committed to bargaining in good faith and is prepared to continue discussions toward a negotiated agreement that recognizes the contributions of our employees while supporting the long-term competitiveness of our Canadian operations.” The results of the strike vote are expected to be announced on Oct. 19.
