Unifor will open 2026 contract negotiations with Ford Motor Company on June 22, the union announced May 11.
The union represents about 5,000 workers at Ford of Canada facilities. Unifor has selected Ford to set the pattern agreement that will guide bargaining with the other Detroit Three automakers, General Motors and Stellantis.
“Currently, the Canadian auto sector, and in turn our members and their families, face unprecedented challenges. Unifor firmly believes it is in the best interest of our members across the Detroit Three to work to establish the pattern agreement for 2026 auto bargaining with Ford Motor Company,” said Lana Payne, Unifor national president.
Pattern bargaining is a strategy in which a union negotiates a contract with one employer in an industry, then uses that deal as the template for talks with other employers.
Unifor said it has a long working relationship with Ford. The union and its predecessor, the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), have most often chosen Ford to set the pattern agreement for the Detroit Three.
The decision to start with Ford has the full endorsement of Unifor’s General Motors and Stellantis master bargaining committees, the union said.
Details on a photo opportunity and media conference at the June 22 launch will be released at a later date.
Unifor is Canada’s largest private-sector union, representing 320,000 workers across the economy.
