Unifor secures strong strike mandate as Stellantis talks continue

Unifor members at Stellantis have voted 97.3 per cent in favour of authorizing strike action if needed, giving the union a strong mandate as negotiations with the automaker continue.

The strike authorization votes were held Oct. 17 and 18 after contract talks reached an impasse in September. According to the union, the result demonstrates strong support for the bargaining committee as it seeks a new collective agreement and pushes the company to honour commitments related to Canadian operations and jobs.

“Unifor members at Stellantis understand how difficult negotiations with the company have been and gave an overwhelming mandate to support their bargaining committee,” said Lana Payne, national president of Unifor.

The union stressed that neither side is currently in a legal strike position because the required labour-relations process has not yet advanced to the point where job action could occur.

In an update issued Oct. 22, Unifor said Stellantis remains in active discussions with federal government officials and has indicated those talks are nearing a conclusion. The union said formal bargaining is expected to resume once those discussions are completed.

“We believe there is a path to a fair collective agreement with Stellantis so long as the company honours its commitments and does right by its workers,” said James Stewart, Unifor’s Stellantis master bargaining chairperson.

The union said lines of communication remain open and that Stellantis is expected to provide a further update next week as negotiations move forward.