FCA, Unifor reach temporary deal to end blockade
The blockade at the delivery gate of FCA'S Windsor Assembly Plant has been removed after the company and Unifor Local 444 reached a temporary agreement late Sunday.
FCA Canada accepted the Unifor proposal to bring back 40 Auto Warehouse Company workers, who are Local 444 members, on an interim basis.
“We never wanted to impede production,” said Unifor Local 444 president Dave Cassidy.
“This also gives us time to figure it out with the OLRB (Ontario Labour Relations Board) on the issue of employment successor rights.”
Cassidy said Monday Unifor would file the required paperwork with the OLRB that day.
The blockade had been in place since Jan. 5 as part of a labour dispute between Local 444 and Motipark, which recently won the contract to take over the work of driving new minivans off the production line.
Cassidy said 40 of the 60 workers were brought back because that was the number Motipark claimed were required to fulfil the new contract.
“The ball is in FCA'S court now,” Cassidy said. Cassidy said there was no time frame put on how long the interim agreement could last.
FCA Canada was tight-lipped on what the next steps for the company would be.
“We are not commenting on the situation — production resumed this morning at Windsor Assembly Plant,” FCA Canada head of communications Lou Ann Gosselin said Monday.
FCA had gone to court Friday in an attempt to secure an injunction ordering the blockade be removed.
However, Superior Court Justice Paul Howard refused the request, ruling that the company failed to meet a number of jurisdictional issues. The sides were scheduled to meet again before Howard at 11 a.m. Tuesday, but that hearing has been cancelled after the temporary truce was agreed to.
Motipark CEO Tony De Thomasis didn't respond to attempts by the Star to obtain a comment Monday. On Friday, De Thomasis had told the Star in an email that his company didn't need any Unifor employees and Motipark workers were to be represented by the Teamsters.
According to Cassidy, Unifor officials were told Motipark workers would start at $17.77 per hour compared to the average of $22 per hour under the Unifor deal with AWC.
“It's union busting 101,” Cassidy said. “It's the lowest bidder.”
Cassidy said the roadmap to a permanent solution requires Motipark to talk with Unifor or for FCA to revoke the contract and return it to AWC.
“Motipark hasn't reached out to us at all,” Cassidy said. “As far as we're concerned, AWC is in place and our members are working and that's the result we wanted.
“FCA has good relations with their suppliers and I'm sure they have an out clause in this contract. Just make the interim contract a three-year deal.”