With auto talks happening simultaneously in the United States and Canada, it’s been difficult to avoid comparisons between union demands, strategies, and now, newly negotiated deals on either side of the border.

Under the leadership of reformer Shawn Fain, the United Auto Workers (UAW) decided to bargain with and, ultimately, strike at Ford, General Motors (GM), and Stellantis simultaneously. The union adopted the innovative “stand-up strike” to exert pressure and hold the companies accountable based on their progress at the bargaining table. In contrast, Unifor followed the traditional pattern bargaining route. They initially secured a favorable agreement with Ford and subsequently extended it to the other two automakers after brief, hours-long job actions.

Both the Canadians and the Americans have thus far brought impressive deals back to their members. Where in previous bargaining rounds the unions made concessions or merely maintained the status quo, this time they capitalized on the opportunities provided by a relatively tight labor market and growing union support to compel the Big Three to offer better terms.