Detroit Automakers Slashed Canadian Production, Setting Up Tense Union Talks | Carscoops

Canada’s Unifor union is set to begin negotiations with the Detroit Three next week and they’ll likely be contentious for a number of reasons. Besides the ongoing trade war between the United States and Canada, President Trump has threatened to pull out of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

If that wasn’t bad enough, automakers have thrown Canadians a few curveballs. In GM’s case, the company ended BrightDrop production at CAMI Assembly in 2025 and slashed a shift at Oshawa Assembly in January.

More: Stellantis Still Wants To Build A New Car In Canada After Canceling Compass

Stellantis infuriated politicians as they abandoned plans to build the redesigned Jeep Compass at Brampton Assembly. Instead, they’re now planning to make it in the United States at Belvidere Assembly in 2027.

Ford promised to transform Oakville Assembly into a “Canadian hub of electric vehicle manufacturing” that would build five different models. The automaker abandoned that plan in 2024 and is now aiming to build Super Duty trucks there.

Talks Begin Next Week

That’s a lot of drama in a short amount of time, and it’s just scratching the surface. However, talks are scheduled to begin with Ford on June 22.

Unifor’s current agreement with the Detroit Three expires this fall and the union recently laid out a number of priorities for this year’s negotiations. The union noted the discussions come at a “critical time for our members and for Canada’s auto industry” as they continue to face “uncertainty from ongoing trade disputes, tariff threats, production disruptions, and a rapidly changing automotive landscape.”

The union didn’t go into specifics, but said they want Ford, GM, and Stellantis to provide job and income security as well as a “stable ground for Canada’s auto industry.” Unifor also wants to prioritize pension and retirement security as well as health benefits.

The union warned they will “not entertain concessionary bargaining” and will “consider appropriate next steps,” if they don’t reach an agreement with Ford by the July 10 deadline.