en.Wedoany.com Reported - Ford Motor Co. and Unifor have ratified a three-year collective agreement that includes a 9% wage increase for hourly workers, a C$10,000 ratification bonus for eligible full-time permanent employees, and C$2,000 for temporary workers. The agreement also commits an additional C$700 million ($499 million) investment in the Essex Engine Plant in Windsor, Ontario.

Ford stated that the new funding for the Essex plant will be used to maximize production of the 5.0-liter engine and support the manufacturing of larger engines, with most components shipped to Ford's assembly plants in the United States. The company had previously planned to invest C$550 million in the Oakville assembly factory, which is set to begin large-scale production of heavy-duty pickup trucks.

The Essex Engine Plant is located near the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is scheduled to open this month and will accelerate trade flows between Canada and the United States for the automotive and other industries.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement, "This agreement is about investing in our employees and Canada's future." He also publicly supported the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which has not been renewed by the Trump administration. Farley noted, "A strong, integrated North American manufacturing system is critical to our competitiveness, and a revised USMCA is essential to counter the cost and currency advantages of imported vehicles from South Korea and Japan."

Unifor represents approximately 5,000 Ford workers in Canada.