Unifor says thousands of its members employed by automaker Stellantis are on strike after a contract deal could not be reached by deadline on Sunday.
The union made the announcement just after midnight Monday. It said talks would continue despite its 8,200 members — most of whom are in southern Ontario — going on the picket line.
“We have made progress and we will continue to negotiate through the night,” the union said in a statement from national president Lana Payne and other leaders.
Stellantis, known for brands including Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge, is the last of the Detroit Three automakers to negotiate with the union since talks began in August.
Ratified deals are already in place for Ford and General Motors workers in Canada.
The company has an assembly plant in Windsor, Ont., which makes minivans including the Chrysler Pacifica, as well as an assembly plant in Brampton, Ont., responsible for the Dodge Challenger, Charger and Chrysler 300 models.
It also has a plant in Toronto’s Etobicoke neighbourhood that makes die castings, and parts distribution facilities in Mississauga, Ont., and Red Deer, Alta.
Unifor has said one of its priorities is securing bargaining rights for workers at the upcoming NextStar electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, which is set to create 2,500 jobs. The plant is expected to open sometime next year.
The two sides have been at the table for about two weeks. The union is negotiating with the automakers through pattern bargaining, where an agreement with one company sets the template for the others.
In a video update on Friday night, Payne said that earlier on during bargaining, the company had offered concessions that broke the contract pattern set in the deals with the other automakers. But the two sides had moved closer together on Friday, she said.
“The deals we reached with Ford and GM formed a strong pattern that delivers impressive gains for Canadian autoworkers, including industry-leading wages, pensions and benefits,” she said at the time.
