Canadian union Unifor sets Oct 9 deadline for GM negotiations

Sept 28 (Reuters) – Canadian labor union Unifor said on Thursday it has informed General Motors (GM.N) that Oct. 9 has been set as the deadline for negotiating a deal with the U.S. automaker.

“Negotiations between Unifor and General Motors are underway to secure a tentative agreement that follows the pattern set with Ford of Canada,” Unifor said in a statement, adding that the negotiation deadline has been set for Monday, Oct. 9 at 11:59 p.m.

GM Canada and Unifor resumed negotiations on Sept. 26 for workers at Oshawa Operations, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre, according to a statement from the company.

Unifor had announced GM as its second bargaining target in contract talks with the Detroit Three on Monday, a day after ratifying a new three-year contract with Ford Motor (F.N).

The Canadian operations of the Detroit Three are much smaller than their U.S. setups, but the three automakers each has critical factories in Canada.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., negotiators for the United Auto Workers (UAW) union could strike additional Detroit Three automotive facilities on Friday if there is no substantial progress in labor negotiations.

The UAW had launched its walkouts on Sept. 15, its first simultaneous strikes at General Motors, Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI) and Ford.

The UAW has historically chosen one U.S. automaker to focus on reaching a contract deal that has typically set a pattern for the other automakers, but this year, it has been negotiating with all three simultaneously.

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