Local Unifor officials will be watching closely as contract talks begin between the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and the Big Three automakers.
New UAW President Shawn Fain refused to take part in the "ceremonial handshake", breaking long-standing tradition, and instead spent last Wednesday going to plants to talk to members about their concerns.
The talks come as Detroit automakers, like their global counterparts, have been focused on cost reductions, which in some cases include job cuts, to help accelerate a shift from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles (EV).
Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidy says Fain's approach is aggressive, but says it's a good approach because he believe's it will help set the tone for when Unifor starts bargaining here.
"Everybody wants to make sure that we have product. We already have product secured and I want to make sure that everybody understands that. We've secured our products in the last set of bargaining. We have to make sure that we're closing the gap on our grow-in and pensions are huge for our members. Obviously wages. So we're going to see how it unfolds there. We're going to pay real close attention."
One of the agreements UAW President Fain is aiming to get, is an agreement that would allow the UAW to represent hourly workers at joint-venture EV battery plants opened or planned by the Detroit Three.
Cassidy says he doesn't believe it would have any affect on the Windsor EV battery plant or its workers.
"I think we've secured everything. Everything is secured here. We know what our product is going forward. We bargained that in 2020. The EV plant is now secure. I don't see any negative coming out of that."
He says when it comes to the possibility of simultaneous talks happening between both unions and the Big Three, he says he's okay with it.
"I mean obviously they started down their path and we're going to start own our path. I hope that we're chose as they lead target over here by our national president. We have a big foot print in Canada and I hope that Stellantis is ready to roll as well, but our bargaining team is ready to go and we're looking forward to opening up on the [August] tenth."
He says pensions and wage packages will be some of the main focuses during bargaining for his members.
"There's a lot of debate and discussion around cost of living versus the profit sharing. Cost of living takes us with a legacy and continues to be there, but we've been idle for quite some many years. So we're looking at both sides of that to make sure, and that's one of the priorities with the members that I represent, is the profit sharing," said Cassidy.
UAW President Fain has stated the union, which represents about 150,000 U.S. hourly workers at Detroit's Three, is not afraid to go on strike at any of the automakers without a fair contract.
Unifor's bargaining will begin Thursday, August 10.
-With files from The Associated Press