Ford and Canada's union reach a tentative deal on a new contract

Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free PressSun, July 12, 2026 at 11:30 AM UTC

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Ford Motor Co. and the union that represents Canada's autoworkers — Unifor — reached a tentative agreement for a new contract on July 11 that will cover some 5,150 union members employed at Ford's factories in Canada.

Unifor and Ford started negotiating a new contract on June 22 with Unifor setting a target date of July 10 to have a deal. Unifor alerted the media it had reached the tentative agreement late July 11.

“Securing this tentative agreement comes at a vital time for Canada’s auto workers and our domestic industry,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a statement. “Every member of our bargaining committee came to the table resolved to reach a fair deal that protects good union jobs in the most challenging of economic times.”

Ahead of negotiations, as the Detroit Free Press reported last month, Payne had called them "the most consequential" talks of Unifor leaders' lifetimes. That's because of the challenges the auto industry faces this year as the United States Mexico Canada Agreement continues unchanged, the U.S. war in Iran remains unresolved and there continues to be 25% tariffs put in place by President Donald Trump for all vehicles and car parts imported into the United States.

“All of this makes for what will be the most consequential round of Detroit Three auto negotiations in our lifetimes," Payne said in a previous report. "(President) Trump wasn’t bluffing. He was coming for our jobs. Investment would be impacted. Companies would respond in ways that would be detrimental to our members.”

That's because automakers are diverting billions of dollars to pay for tariffs rather than investing the money in Canadian plants, products, or workers, Payne said.

The new tentative agreement covers members of Unifor Local 707, 200, 584,1087, 240 and 1324 who work at the Oakville Assembly Complex, Windsor Annex and Essex Engine Plants, and Parts Distribution Centres in Paris and Casselman in Ontario and Leduc, Alberta.

“We look forward to bringing this tentative agreement to our members,” said Unifor Ford Master Bargaining Chair John D’Agnolo. “Our members put in the work on the shop floor every day, and our entire negotiating team made sure that work was recognized at the bargaining table.”

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Specifics of the tentative agreement will be presented to members at ratification meetings to be held July 17-19, Unifor said. The union had said the membership did not expect to win the same 2023 record-setting wage gains this time around given the economic uncertainties. But members were seeking fair economic progress on wages and pensions, the promise of products for job security and the union said it will not make concessions in this next contract.

The current contact Unifor has with the Detroit Three automakers expires at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 20. The UAW's contract with Detroit automakers expires May 1, 2028.

If members ratify the tentative agreement between Unifor and Ford, it will serve as a template for contract talks that follow between the union and General Motors and Stellantis. That is called pattern bargaining.

Unifor said the tentative agreement received the unanimous endorsement of the Unifor Ford Master Bargaining Committee. But Ford Motor did not immediately provide a direct comment to the Detroit Free Press.

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Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer for USA TODAY Co. who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford and Canada's Unifor reach a tentative agreement on a new contract

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