Ford Canada, Union Strike Tentative Deal

Ford Canada and the Canadian Auto Workers reached a tentative contract agreement Wednesday, several hours ahead of a strike deadline, union president Buzz Hargrove announced.

Assuming the deal is ratified by workers, the agreement concludes this year’s round of CAW bargaining with the Big Three carmakers. The contracts run for three years.

Ford, which has about 12,000 unionized workers in Canada, offered the same key job-security provisions that were included in contracts recently negotiated with Chrysler and General Motors. The GM deal came only after a threeweek strike that disrupted vehicle production across North America.

Hargrove said the union has accomplished what it set out to do - protect its members jobs from contracting out parts production to lower-cost suppliers.