Canadian auto workers pick General Motors as strike target
DETROIT — The Canadian auto workers’ union has picked General Motors Co. as a potential strike target in contract talks with the Detroit Three automakers.
GM will now be the focus of bargaining as the two sides hash out a new contract agreement. The union’s contracts with GM, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler expire at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 19. If an agreement isn’t reached by the deadline, the union could call a strike.
Any deal reached with GM also would be used as a pattern for the other two companies. The union, Unifor, represents 23,000 GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler workers in Canada.
“These negotiations are about the future of local communities, good jobs and the industry. Our demand is clear, invest today to build a future for tomorrow,” Unifor President Jerry Dias said at a news conference Tuesday in Toronto. “Policy makers and the public need to understand what is at stake here.”