Unifor has picked Basic Motors Canada as its subsequent bargaining goal, a day after union members narrowly ratified a three-year collective settlement with Ford Motor Co. of Canada that set the sample for this yr’s auto talks.

The union secured double-digit wage features, a path again to outlined profit pension plans and one-time bonuses of $10,000 for full-time employees in a Sept. 19 tentative settlement with Ford that got here following a last-minute firm provide and a 24-hour strike-deadline extension. Fifty-four per cent of Unifor members voted to ratify the deal in two days of voting over the weekend, narrowly assembly the required majority wanted to approve the deal.

With members at Ford locked into a brand new collective settlement that gained’t expire till Sept. 20, 2026, Unifor will flip its consideration to GM.

Unifor President Lana Payne mentioned the union can be on the desk with the corporate beginning tomorrow and expects GM to “comply with the sample set at Ford.”

“We maintain a number of negotiating leverage with GM proper now. Their Oshawa facility is working across the clock producing very profitable pickup vehicles. The St. Catharines engine and transmission facility, like Ford’s powertrain operations, is a lynchpin for GM’s North American operations,” she mentioned in an replace to members.

GM has roughly 3,100 hourly employees at its Oshawa Meeting Plant, 1,100 in St. Catharines, in addition to 80 at its Woodstock Elements Distribution Centre. Unifor additionally represents about 1,500 at GM’s CAMI Meeting Plant in Ingersoll, Ont., however members at that facility fall below one other contract.

Because it did with the opposite two members of the Detroit Three, Unifor opened negotiations with GM Aug. 10, earlier than pausing them Aug. 29 to deal with Ford.

GM Canada spokesperson Jennifer Wright mentioned the corporate welcomes the resumption of talks.

“We stay up for working with our Unifor companions to construct a aggressive future that additionally acknowledges our workers’ contributions to our shared success,” she mentioned in an e mail.

Payne mentioned she doesn’t anticipate talks to be straightforward however needs to verify Unifor is “greatest positioned to maneuver this sample ahead.”

The union would have much less leverage partaking with Stellantis, she added, due to the Windsor Meeting Plant’s upcoming retooling.

“There’s nonetheless a number of obligatory data we have to obtain from Stellantis in regards to the forthcoming Brampton meeting funding and retool. And I imagine we have to have higher readability on this earlier than our talks start.”