Is there a Christmas bonus?
Did Unifor negotiate a "Christmas bonus" and is it part of the 2023 pattern agreement with Ford of Canada
In 2012, Unifor (then CAW) negotiated lump-sum inflation protection bonuses in lieu of quarterly Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) adjustments to hourly wages. These $2,000 lump-sum bonuses were paid out in December, prior to Christmas holiday shutdown periods, in each year of the agreement except for the first year. Though the payments were made in close proximity to the Christmas season, the lump-sum Inflation Protection Bonuses were never conceived of as a "Christmas bonus." There is no reference to any Christmas bonuses in the 2012, 2016, 2020, or 2023 agreements with Ford of Canada.
In the 2023 Ford pattern agreement, the union negotiated the reinstatement of quarterly COLA adjustments to hourly wages. The union forecasts that quarterly COLA adjustments will total $1.61 per hour by the end of the three-year contract. Reactivation of COLA was a core priority for the union at the bargaining table. Autoworkers are better protected from the effects of inflation by quarterly COLA adjustments which will begin in December, 2024 up to a maximum of $2 per hour over the life of the three-year pattern agreement.
Please refer to "Appendix S" for more information about the 2021 and 2022 Inflation Protection Bonus below.