Ford Canada auto strike threat abates after tentative deal struck

• The American and Canadian auto industries are closely intertwined and Labor action in one country could quickly affect employees across the border, per Axios' Joann Muller.

The big picture: Lana Payne, Unifor's national president, said before the previous contract agreement expired at 11:59 p.m. on Monday that workers were prepared for scenarios including strike action as talks continued. Negotiations were extended for another 24 hours early Tuesday.

• "We leveraged our union's most powerful weapon: the right to strike," Unifor said in an online statement after the tentative deal was announced.
• A Ford spokesperson said in an emailed statement on Tuesday night that the tentative agreement was for a three-year national labour contract, but because the agreement was "subject to ratification by Ford-Unifor members" he would not not "discuss the specifics" of the potential deal.

Of note: Unlike the UAW, Unifor has been quietly bargaining with Ford over wages, pensions and the transition to electric vehicles after selecting the company as a negotiations "target."

What's next: The union plans to use the eventual deal as the pattern for bargaining with and Chrysler parent company Stellantis and General Motors in Canada.

Go deeper: How the UAW strike could disrupt the economy

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.