The president of Unifor Local 200 says the Windsor Engine Plant has a lot hanging on this round of contract talks with Ford Canada.
At a time when the Big Three Automakers are making record sales and profits, Chris Taylor says the local plant desperately needs investment.
"Our future depends on new product, and we have told Ford that this round of bargaining we need product and investment in our Windsor Engine facilities, or there's no agreement."
He says in the early 2000s; the plant was making variations on four different engines for Ford and employed 6,300 active members. None were on layoff. Now, just 1,500 are working at the plant, and 200 are on layoff.
The plant came close to landing new investment in 2014, but the company decided to build it in Mexico instead.
"Right from Jerry Dias, our national president on down, we all feel that if we're not successful at this round of bargaining than we are in some deep trouble."
Taylor says that doesn't mean wages aren't on the radar.
"Look, our members haven't had raises in ten years either," he says. "We're going to be very responsible here but our main goal here is we have to have that product. We need the job security."
