Ford reaches deal with Canadian union, averting strike

<p>Canadian union&nbsp;Unifor&nbsp;on Tuesday said it had reached an agreement with Detroit automaker&nbsp;Ford&nbsp;that would avert a strike after talks passed a crucial deadline.<br/><br/>The details of the settlement were being withheld pending a ratification meeting set for Sunday, but Jerry Dias, president of the union which represents 6,200 workers, said the agreement includes wage gains and a commitment by Ford valued at 1.8 billion Canadian dollars ($1.4 billion) to build a new line of electric vehicles at the automaker&#39;s assembly&nbsp;plant in Oakville, Ontario.<br/><br/>The promise was a key part of the agreement, Dias said during a press conference held via the union&#39;s&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;page.</p><p><br/>The union had picked Ford as the first of Detroit&#39;s &quot;Big Three&quot; for negotiations, viewing the Oakville plant as vulnerable to closure.</p><p><br/></p><p>Ford had no immediate comment on the settlement, which came 11 hours after the original strike deadline imposed by the union.<br/><br/>The deadline had been extended by the union late Monday as the negotiators closed in on an deal.</p>