Unifor wants guarantee for Windsor Assembly in FCA talks

Despite securing a new minivan and nearly $3 billion in investment since signing its last contract with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Uniforofficials in Windsor say there is still a lot to fight for.

Unifor is targeting FCA next in its ongoing contract negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers following a tentative agreement between the union and General Motors Co.

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"We are pretty enthusiastic about getting to the table and getting things done, we're happy to be the next group on deck," saidDinoChiodo, the president ofUniforLocal 444.

In 2015, FCA spentbillions retooling its Windsor Assembly Plant. That paved the way for the launch of thePacificaearlier this year. Though company officials have promised to keep that platform alive for nearly a decade,Chiodosays nothing is certain.

Uniforis looking for asigned commitmentfrom FCA that any nextgenerationminivanswould be built in Windsor,Chiodosaid.

"Although we might be secure today, what happens in three, four, five years? There's no other product scheduled for Windsor at this point," he said. "Technically we will still be producing thePacificaand the Dodge Grand Caravan but what happens after that we don't know."

But Chiodo said Unifor would also make sureFCAguarantees future work forits plants inBrampton, Ont. andEtobicoke, Ont.

"We need some big dollars in order to make sure we can keep [those facilities] right here in Ontario," Chiodo said."This is an opportunity for us [in Windsor] to support their needs."

Fiat-Chrysler employs 9,750 Unifor union members, including:

• 3,300 at its Bramptonassembly plant, where the Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger are built.

• 6,000 members at its Windsorplant, which makes the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Pacifica.

• 450 at its Etobicoke,casting plant

Late Monday,Uniforand GM reached atentative agreementon a new four-year deal covering 3,900 workers. ThoseUniformembers will vote Sunday on the deal, with results to be released that evening.