Steel Markets
Canadian Autoworkers Target GM as Labor Negotiations Begin
Written by Sandy Williams
September 8, 2016
Canadian autoworkers selected General Motors as target company as contract negotiations begin for approximately 23,000 union workers
Unifor, which represents autoworkers at GM, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler NV in Canada, will use negotiations with GM to set the pattern for talks with the other two manufacturers. Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, called General Motors the “biggest bully in the schoolyard.”
Workers are concerned about the scheduled closing of two production lines in 2017 at the Oshawa facility near Toronto. Dias said GM will not commit to scheduling production on new vehicles beyond 2019 until after labor negotiations are completed.
Unifor worries that manufacturers will continue to move production from Canada to the U.S. and Mexico. Canada’s share of auto production in North America has dropped to 13 percent while Mexico’s has increased to 20 percent, according to Ward’s Automotive Yearbook. The union is seeking wage increase as well as investment in Canadian auto facilities to enable more vehicles to be built.
The current contract with GM is set to expire on Sept. 19 and Unifor hopes to be able to sign a new agreement before then. If not, the union has a strike mandate has been approved by Canadian autoworkers.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Markets
Buyers say plate market rejected last round of mill hikes
Participants in the domestic steel plate market said the plate market never accepted mill-issued spot price increases.
Cliffs touts steel stamping solution to replace aluminum in automotive
Cliffs said it successfully completed a defect-free trial production of exposed steel parts using aluminum-forming equipment in collaboration with an unnamed OEM,
Hot-rolled market anticipates no change despite mill mark-ups
Domestic sheet market participants say recent spot price hikes from NLMK USA and Nucor will do little to shake-up stagnant market conditions. Price increases in the current market On Friday Oct. 24, NLMK customers learned that the producer’s hot- and cold-rolled prices increased $50 per short ton (st) and its coated products were $100/st higher. […]
Market sources say regional activity is dictating plate demand
Demand for plate on the spot market remains soft by comparison to years past. However, this week regional demand variations grew more pronounced.
AISI: Raw steel production bounces back
Domestic mill production rebounded last week, according to the latest production figures released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Production had been historically strong over the summer months before softening in early October.