Ford Motor’s labor challenges have the potential to escalate into an international issue impacting the production of certain pickup trucks in the United States, as Canadian union Unifor and the company are racing against the clock to reach an agreement involving approximately 5,600 autoworkers.

Both sides must come to terms before the extended deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday to avert the possibility of a strike, CNBC reported.

The original deadline for negotiations was set for Monday night, but an additional 24 hours were granted after the union received a “substantive offer” from Ford “moments before the deadline.”

Should Unifor proceed with a strike, it would disrupt operations at Ford’s Oakville Assembly Plant, responsible for manufacturing the Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus crossovers.

Additionally, it would impact two engine plants producing the 7.3-liter and 5.0-liter V8 gasoline engines used in highly profitable vehicles such as the Ford F-Series Super Duty, F-150 pickups, and the Mustang muscle car.

This labor unrest comes at a time when Ford is already under pressure, following targeted strike calls by the United Auto Workers against Ford and its fellow Detroit automakers, General Motors and Stellantis.

Written by staff