Collective bargaining is the process whereby unions (a collection of workers) and employers negotiate wages, benefits, hours of work and other workplace conditions.

The result is a collective agreement, often referred to as a “union contract” - a legally binding contract between the union and employer that can only be changed if both sides agree.

Unifor (and its predecessor unions) have negotiated collective agreements with the Detroit Three automakers in Canada for more than 80 years. These agreements are typically three years in length.

Prior to its expiry, the union and employer return to the bargaining table to negotiate changes or improvements to the collective agreement. Any proposed change must be agreed to by both sides. When the union and employer reach a tentative agreement, it must be brought to the union members for review and vote at a ratification meeting.

In 2026, Unifor will negotiate the renewal of collective agreements with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, covering Unifor-represented workers at their Canadian facilities.

Collective bargaining has helped autoworkers secure good wages, pensions, benefits, job security and safer workplaces for nearly a century. By standing together, through their union, autoworkers have fought for and negotiated ground-breaking improvements to work standards. Even in times of crisis, including during the 2008-09 Great Recession (when employers and governments demanded concessionary changes to collective agreements), collective bargaining provided unionized autoworkers the ability to defend their rights and have a voice in shaping their terms and conditions of employment.

The core economic provisions in Unifor’s collective agreements with the Detroit Three automakers, including wages, pensions, health care benefits and income security plans, for instance, are the same, or very similar, across worksites, and between automakers. Wage rates in Unifor represented plants are generally the same. Because of this, employers have little incentive to compete with one another by underpaying workers. By equalizing pay and work standards, autoworkers are also more likely to stand together and support one another, in solidarity.  

Unifor strives to ensure standardization of contract terms, through ‘patterned bargaining’ within Canada (see below). However, the union also recognizes the international nature of automaking and the role “free trade agreements” play in driving unfair wage competition between workers, across countries.  These and other external political and economic factors create added pressure on Canadian autoworkers at the bargaining table.

The following Unifor-represented workplaces will be involved in 2026 negotiations.

Contract talks to renew collective agreements between Unifor and the Detroit 3 automakers will begin on June 22, 2026, starting with Ford Motor Company.

Negotiations will take place at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in downtown Toronto.

The current collective agreements between Unifor and the Detroit Three automakers expire on September 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

Auto Talks 2026 is taking place in a complex negotiating environment, with many external factors creating economic uncertainty – including unjustified U.S. tariffs on Canadian vehicle exports, a U.S.-Israel-led war in Iran, shifting environmental and regulatory market conditions, and the ongoing review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), among others.   

Confronting the risk that economic conditions will likely not improve in the coming months – and may, in fact, worsen – Unifor proposed to accelerate the timelines for contract renegotiation.  

The accelerated timeline with Ford also serves the purpose of advancing the bargaining schedule with the other two automakers, as Unifor is working to complete 2026 auto bargaining (with Ford, GM and Stellantis), before the September 20, 2026 collective agreement expiry.

Yes. The target deadline to reach a contract settlement with Ford Motor Company is July 10, 2026. In any set of negotiations, it is critical to establish a target deadline to complete the process and reach a tentative agreement. Without it, there is little motivation for the either of the parties to work towards the mutual objective of reaching an agreement.

If the parties cannot reach a tentative agreement by the July 10, 2026 target deadline Unifor and its Master Bargaining Committee will evaluate progress and consider appropriate next steps. Unifor will keep members informed of any change to the bargaining timeline or process.

Trade and investment uncertainty has defined Canada’s industrial economy since 2025. U.S. tariffs and trade aggression are threatening Canada’s auto industry, and have led to job losses, idled plants, and stalled new/next generation product investment. Any investments announced in Canada since U.S. tariffs were implemented were committed to by automakers before trade measures took effect.

Historically, Unifor has maintained a strong and productive relationship with Ford Motor Company. That’s one of the key reasons Unifor, and the former CAW, has so often chosen Ford to lead negotiations and establish the bargaining “pattern” for the Detroit Three automakers.

Ford Motor Company has also demonstrated a continued commitment to its Canadian operations, including the Windsor powertrain facilities and the complete refurbishment of the Oakville Assembly Plant.

Unifor and its Detroit Three Master Bargaining Committees believe a fair pattern agreement at Ford creates the best opportunity to secure deals with GM and Stellantis.

The decision to begin with Ford has received the full endorsement of Unifor’s General Motors and Stellantis Master Bargaining Committees.

Yes.  In past rounds, Unifor has negotiated an initial agreement with one of the Detroit Three automakers, and that deal sets the ‘pattern’ for the remaining negotiations. On occasion, automakers have entered talks attempting to reject the pattern agreement, which has led to labour disputes.

The pattern-setting company is selected by the Unifor National President

Once the first agreement is voted on and ratified by Unifor members, the union will select the second company with which to negotiate. Once that second deal is ratified by members, the union will negotiate with the third – and final – company. On occasion, the union has opted to negotiate with automakers simultaneously.

No. Canadian and American unionized autoworkers at the Detroit Three bargain separate collective agreements on different timelines.

In 2023, negotiations happened at the same time because contract expiry dates aligned. In the last round of talks, U.S. autoworkers ratified 4.75-year agreements with the Detroit Three automakers that are scheduled to expire in May 2028. Unifor members ratified 3-year agreements, that expire in September 2026.

Unifor’s bargaining committee structure is multilayered, bringing together several committees working collaboratively towards a tentative agreement.

National President Lana Payne leads the process and serves as the official spokesperson. Each of the Ford, GM and Stellantis Master Bargaining Committees is led by their respective elected Committee Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.

The union negotiating team also includes elected local union and workplace representatives participating on sub-committees, supported by Unifor staff.

Unifor members at Ford, GM and Stellantis submitted hundreds of proposals to improve their respective collective agreements. These have been reviewed, consolidated, and prioritized by the elected bargaining committees and will be presented to the companies at the start of negotiations.

The process is unfolding in a highly uncertain economic climate, marked by tariffs, trade pressures, unfair import competition (notably from China) and a changing regulatory climate, along with job losses and idled plants.

Unifor is seeking agreement that meets this critical moment. The union has identified that it will not entertain “concessionary bargaining” and will seek fair economic progress for its members, focusing on wages, income security, pensions, benefits, and key workplace advancements – while also helping to secure stable ground for Canada’s auto industry in an unstable industrial environment.

No.

The Detroit Three pension plans, as well as the College of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT) pension plan, are well-funded and there should be a high degree of confidence in these plans.

They are all in healthy funded positions as of the date of their last valuations.

No. Among the many economic headwinds facing Canada’s auto industry, unjustified U.S. import tariffs on Canadian-built vehicles are the most damaging.  These tariffs are an economic policy of the U.S. government – imposed under the President’s Executive Authority.

The federal government oversees Canada’s trade policy and is currently in discussions to review the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on trade (CUSMA). Unifor is a key stakeholder in these trade negotiations. National President Lana Payne serves on the federal Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations.

Unifor continues to advocate for a fair resolution to the current tariff dispute, premised on continued zero-tariff trade between Canada and the U.S.  Unifor also continues to propose measures intended to strengthen North American supply chains, and bolster industrial capacity, including by addressing excessive import sales of non-North American built vehicles (totalling approximately 5 million vehicles sold in North America, or 20 vehicle assembly plants).

Members play a central role at every stage of bargaining:

Electing union representatives: Members elect local union officers and bargaining committee representatives who speak on their behalf at the bargaining table.

Submitting bargaining proposals: Members can propose amendments to their collective agreement

Staying informed: Members are expected to stay up to date through regular updates from the National Union throughout the bargaining process.

Supporting the bargaining team:  Solidarity strengthens the committee’s position and helps pressure the employer for a fair agreement.

Voting on tentative agreement:  Any tentative agreement must be approved by a majority vote of members at ratification meetings.

Taking strike action, if necessary: If no deal is reached, and subject to requirements of the Ontario Labour Relations Act and Unifor Constitution, members may be called to take strike action in support of pursuing a fair settlement.