FCA And Unifor Reach Tentative Agreement, Paves Way For New Plug-In Hybrids And EVs – CarScoops

Contract talks between FCA and Canada’s Unifor union went down to the wire as a tentative agreement was announced “moments” before the strike deadline.

In a press conference earlier today, Unifor National President Jerry Dias said they went into negotiations concerned about FCA’s product portfolio and the future of the Chrysler 300.

The tentative agreement calls for maintaining the existing portfolio and this means the future of the 300 is secure. More importantly, it calls for three new derivatives / top hats to be built at Brampton Assembly.

Also Read: FCA Bracing For Strike As Deadline With Canada’s Unifor Union Nears

When pressed for more details, Dias said they would be “buzz” models that enhance Brampton’s existing portfolio which includes the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger. This could suggest there will be more high-performance special editions in the same vein as the Challenger SRT Demon. That remains unconfirmed, but Dias suggested one new derivative would be launched each year of the contract.

At Windsor Assembly, $1.35 – $1.5 billion CAD ($1 – $1.1 billion USD) will be invested to build plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles based on a “state-of-the-art multi-energy” platform. The first model is slated to roll off the assembly line in 2024 or 2025, and Dias said the architecture is flexible enough to underpin everything from cars to crossovers to pickups.

The union was particularly concerned about the Windsor plant as FCA dropped the third shift this summer. Thanks to the new platform, thousands of jobs will be created and laid off workers could be recalled as early as 2023.

We’ll likely learn more about the contract in the coming days as members need to ratify it. However, Dias sounded happy with the agreement and said it is a “significant commitment” to maintain and build FCA’s manufacturing footprint in Canada.

.@JerryDias announces that FCA has agreed to invest in a state-of-the-art multi-energy vehicle platform at the Windsor Assembly Plant that will include the assembly of both plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles with at least one new model in 2025. #autotalks2020 #canlab pic.twitter.com/BV1PUfKQHJ

— Unifor (@UniforTheUnion) October 15, 2020

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