Ford Bramalea Closes
November 17, 2023
after 60 Great Years
December 4, 2023
Quebec Council celebrates past achievements and prepares for struggles ahead, Unifor works to set the record straight on jobs at the NextStar plant, members prepare for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, Skilled Trades council holds elections, Pickering Casino security workers join Unifor, and the No Frills tentative agreement is ratified.
Read Lana Payne’s op ed about the misinformation circulating about foreign workers and the Stellantis-LG battery plant.
“Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world,” is the theme for the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Skilled Trades members poised for the future as Skilled Trades Council delegates vote to elect Executive and Committee people to serve for the next three years.
Workers at No Frills have voted overwhelmingly in favor of their tentative agreement. READ MORE
Members of Local 4005 at the Discovery Centre in Halifax ratified a new collective agreement with wage increases and a new evening shift premium. READ MORE
Unifor
115 Gordon Baker Road, Toronto ON M2H 0A8
Toll-free: 1-800-268-5763 | communications@unifor.org
Retiree Ken Haws Passes Away October 14, 2023
Tuesday, May 1st, 1934 – Saturday, October 14th, 2023
Retired Feb 1, 1998 - 30.1 Years of Service
We wish to extend our deepest condolences to the Haws Family
Obituary for Kenneth Norman Haws
Haws,Kenneth Norman
Peacefully at Bethell Hospice on Saturday October 14, 2023 at the age of 89. Beloved husband of Dorothy Haws. Dear father of Rose Marie Middlebrook (David) of Orangeville, William George (Deborah) of Cambridge, Sherry Lee David (Ernie) of Orangeville, Christine Mary Ann Hunt (Garry). Cherished grandfather of Lisa Marie, Doug, Julia, David, Robert, Matthew, Nicole and Maxwell. Loving great-grandfather of Trenton, Tyler, Michael, Fabian, Eliona, Dominic, Valerie, Cameron and Callie and Aurora. Predeceased by his sisters Doreen and Mary. Kenneth will also be greatly missed by other relatives and many friends.
Visitation will be held at the Dods & McNair Funeral Home, Chapel & Reception Centre, 21 First Street, Orangeville on Wednesday October 18, 2023 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Funeral Service will be held in the Chapel on Thursday October 19, 2023 at 11:00 am. Memorial donations to the Salvation Army would be appreciated by the family.
A tree will be planted in memory of Kenneth in the Dods & McNair Memorial Forest at the Island Lake Conservation Area, Orangeville. 22nd Annual Dedication Service will be held on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
Mike Lau
Retired April 1, 2008
19.6 Years of Service
Passed away October 10, 2023
Our deepest condolences go out to the Lau Family
ANC Podcast: Larry Savage on the ‘fascinating, unprecedented’ auto talk ‘drama’
Brock University Labour Professor Larry Savage on the “celebrity status” of UAW President Shawn Fain in the U.S. and the “Lana Payne/Dave Cassidy drama” at Unifor in Canada. He also talks about the power unions currently hold and whether Unifor members at Stellantis might break from pattern bargaining.
Bargaining update #14: Unifor extends Ford deadline by 24-hours
September 19, 2023
Unifor is extending negotiations with Ford Motor Company for a 24-hour period. The union received a substantive offer from the employer minutes before the deadline and bargaining is continuing throughout the night. Unifor members should continue to maintain strike readiness.
September 18 - 8pm Update
Click on Picture for video
Retiree Jim Hamilton Passes
Away September 10, 2023
Retired July 1, 1994
30 Years of Service
It is with great sadness that we let you know of the passing of Jim Hamilton.
Our deepest condolences go out to his wife Clara and family.
He will be sadly missed by all.
Burial will be Friday September 15th at 11 am
at Greenwood Cemetery, Georgetown
100 King St, Georgetown, ON L7G 2G7
Thanks to everyone that attended
The Pension Rally - With your support we will make a difference!
Unifor, Detroit Three kick off
contract talks amid inflation, EV
transition pressures
The Canadian Press
Ian Bickis
Unifor members protest for pension priority at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, on Thursday, August 10, 2023 as the union begins its negotiations with the Detroit Big Three automakers. PHOTO BY TIJANA MARTIN /The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Unifor national president Lana Payne emphasized that autoworkers expect to make significant wage and benefit gains as the union kicked off contract talks with the Detroit Three on Thursday.
“I made it very clear to the companies today that our members’ expectations are very high. Indeed, all workers’ expectations throughout Canada are very high,” she said at a news conference in Toronto.
“And for good reason. Profits are up and so is the cost of living.”
Unifor will likely focus on Ford Motor Co. over General Motors or Stellantis as the lead automaker during this round of three-year contract talks, said Payne, as the company is most advanced and forthcoming on its electric vehicle transition plans and other negotiations. No final decision has been made yet though, she said.
The union usually picks one automaker to concentrate bargaining on, with whatever terms agreed to generally carrying over to the other two.
The official handshakes Thursday that started negotiations between the union and the three automakers come as the rising cost of living and the transition to electric vehicles are top of mind. The twin pressures facing more than 18,000 autoworkers covered by the agreements make this round of bargaining especially important, said Payne.
She said the union made significant pension concessions, including a shift toward defined contributions, when the automakers were on the brink of bankruptcy after the global financial crisis and they’ll be fighting to restore some of what was lost.
Autoworkers are also still feeling the aftershocks of the pandemic with part shortages and supply bottlenecks leading to downtime and making life more precarious, said Payne.
“It’s happening against the backdrop of a stunning and staggering financial performance of the Detroit Three, with major profits reported in every quarter.”
Automakers emphasized the need to balance compensation expectations against the large-scale investments needed to transition the industry to an electric future.
Steven Majer, Ford Canada’s vice-president of human resources, said in a statement that the company and union will have to find the right balance between investing for the future and the sharing of profits.
“We value our partnership with Unifor and have important work to do together as we create a blueprint for the Canadian automotive industry.”
Stellantis said during negotiations it would focus on ensuring future competitiveness along with good benefits and wage increases. The company, which owns brands such as Jeep and Chrysler, said that both it and the union need to find creative solutions that meet worker needs while maintaining efficient and productive workplaces.
General Motors said it looks forward to working with Unifor to build a competitive future that also recognizes its employees’ contributions to shared success.
The last round of contract negotiations in 2020 led to billions of dollars of investment commitments from the three automakers, while Unifor says increased momentum on the transition to electric vehicles has brought total promised spending across all of Canada’s auto sector to around $25 billion in the past three years.
Talks are expected to stretch into September, with the existing contracts set to expire Sept. 18.
The negotiations are taking place at the same time as the United Auto Workers in the U.S. are also in contract negotiations with automakers. Payne said the two unions would keep an open dialogue but that Unifor would be charting its own course through bargaining.
Local 584 Supporting Windsor Salt Striking Workers with Unifor President Lana Payne
June 29, 2023
NEXT RETIREE MEETING
Wednesday September 13, 2023
80 Mary Street Brampton
1PM
********************************
Donation to the Canadian Legion
Unifor Local 584 Retirees Executive:
Chair - Chris Wilski
Vice-Chair - Barb Morrison
Recording Secretary - Doug Berry
Financial Secretary - Pat Riley
Sgt at Arms - Reg Galbraith
Guide - Steve Koloff
Member at Large - Roz Monchamp
Meetings are the first Wednesday
of the month at 1pm.
(Unless otherwise stated)
Day of Mourning April 28, 2024
Local 584 Vice-Chair Barb Morrison with the late Shara Flanigan's Family
June 10, 2023
Announcements
Company Says Ford+ is Maximizing Value for Customers, Improving Business Resilience, Efficiency, Growth, Margins
Less than two quarters into full deployment, the teams behind the Ford+ growth plan’s new customer-centered business segments are redefining customer value, while at the same time reducing cyclicality, improving capital efficiency, and generating profitable growth and strong free cash flow.
Jim Farley, Elon Musk Announce Ford EV Customers to Gain Access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers
Starting early next year, Ford EV customers will have access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada, in addition to the over 10,000 DC fast-chargers that are already part of the BlueOval Charge Network.
Celebrate Ford’s 25-Year Anniversary of JDRF Support
You and your family are invited to the JDRF Friends & Family Picnic at Ford World Headquarters on June 10 in celebration of our 25-year partnership. You bring a picnic lunch, we bring the fun! There will be live music, face painting, lawn games, bounce houses and more. This is a free event. There are no picnic tables, so please plan to bring lawn chairs, picnic blankets, etc. Click hereto register.
Ford News
Ford Retaining AM Radio in 2024 Model Year Vehicles
Ford Motor Company has decided to include it on all 2024 model year Ford and Lincoln vehicles.
Send a pic of you with your Ford (.jpg format, please), with a caption including brief information about your career at Ford and your vehicle, to blueoval@ford.com. Or post your photo on Twitter or Instagram and tag @AtFordOnline using #FordAlumni #MeandMyFord. Let's see those Fords!
Len Quagliotto, a retiree from Product Development IT who also spent five years in marketing and sales IT, proudly remembers helping design the first global system at Ford, the Worldwide Engineering Release System. He’s seen here sitting with his grandson, Logan, in Len’s 1965 Mustang GT. “He loves Mustangs and although you can’t read his shirt, it says ‘Future Mustang Owner,’ ” Len said.
Outside Voices
2023 Ford Super Duty Customer Deliveries Begin (Motor1.com) After a lengthy real-world testing phase and additional quality checks, the truck is now ready to be shipped to retail and commercial clients around the United States. Read more »
New NASCAR Hall Of Fame Exhibit on Next-Gen Ford Mustang Race Car (WCNC) The NASCAR Hall of Fame unveiled a brand-new exhibit Wednesday that gives race fans a firsthand look at how Ford developed its Mustang race car for competition in the NASCAR Cup Series. Read more »
Virtual Reality Helping Designers Craft New Cars Faster, With Less Waste (Newsweek) Digital headsets helped car designers around the world connected with each other, collaborating in real time, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its use has jumpstarted a case for using virtual reality (VR) for more during the design process, making the chunky goggles and controller wands a staple in studios. Read more »
Meeting Held Sept 11, 2019 - Police Fraud Squad Presentation
