Unifor and Ford Motor Company continue negotiations after Unifor received what it calls a substantive offer from the company shortly before the Monday midnight deadline.
"Today they'll be talking about the substantive offer but they'll be talking about complimenting it to get to a final offer," says Ken Lewenza, Former CAW National President.
Lewenza says talks being extended is very common.
"This is so common that I predicted this was going to happen last night if in fact the employer put an offer that forces us to stay at the table and keep talks going," says Lewenza. "It sounds like that's exactly what happened."
Unifor autoworkers are in a legal strike position against Ford after their contract expired at the end of Monday with no new deal in place.
He says deadline bargaining is very difficult.
"It's tough on people the last two or three days of negotiations but it is the appropriate way to do it," says Lewenza. "Both sides got to come to a conclusion."
He believes Unifor is in touch with the UAW.
"One thing that we all know, strategically you have to understand if they expand the strike in the United States and start taking some of their power train operations out the Oakville plant closes in Canada and vice versa here," says Lewenza. "If we go out on strike our engine plant will close down key plants in the United States."
The union says bargaining is ongoing and members should remain ready to strike.
Unifor has said it is focused on increasing wages, improving pensions, and securing good jobs in a future set to be dominated by electric vehicles.
-With files from The Canadian Press & AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides