Automotive News Canada Podcast

Ford Motor Co. of Canada CEO Bev Goodman talks electric vehicles, sales and more during a fireside chat at the 2023 Automotive News Canada Retail Forum.

In this Automotive News Canada Podcast replay from Aug. 25, 2023, Volkswagen Canada CEO Pierre Boutin talks about VW Canada’s role in the St. Thomas, Ont., electric-vehicle battery plant, new product, including the ID Buzz, the need for a harmonized North American charging standard, and more.

Brock University Labour Professor Larry Savage on the “celebrity status” of UAW President Shawn Fain in the U.S. and the “Lana Payne/Dave Cassidy drama” at Unifor in Canada. He also talks about the power unions currently hold and whether Unifor members at Stellantis might break from pattern bargaining.

Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecast at U.S.-based AutoForecast Solutions, says the North American auto industry is “under attack” from all sides. Labour strife, rising interest rates, and still spotty inventory are hitting the industry simultaneously. Still, he says inventory and output continue to rise.

John D’Agnolo, the head of Unifor’s Ford master bargaining committee, talks about what it was like bargaining with the automaker, breaks down what’s in the new contract, and explains why he believes it’s a winner. He also explains why comparing Unifor demands to those of the UAW isn’t realistic, and he talks about the impact UAW President Shawn Fain is having on negotiations between Unifor and the Detroit Three.

Automotive News Canada Toronto Bureau Chief David Kennedy breaks down everything we know about the tentative deal before Unifor and Ford Motor Co. of Canada. And he tells us what comes next.

Brendan Sweeney, managing director of the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing, Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, deconstructs the recent Parliamentary Budget Officer report that says it will take the federal government 20 years to break even on its investments in two electric-vehicle battery plants in Ontario.

Bruce Johnson, the senior director for dealer management systems at CDK Global, talks about the challenges dealers face right now, technology in the service department, the effect interests are having, and the firm's new deal with BMW Canada.

In this replay of the Aug. 4, 2023, Automotive News Canada Podcast, our Automotive News Canada Toronto Bureau Chief David Kennedy tells us what Unifor and the Detroit Three want from this year’s contract talks. He also explains what it means to have Unifor and the UAW in the United States bargaining at the same time and how the electric vehicle revolution could affect bargaining.

Volkswagen Canada CEO Pierre Boutin talks about VW Canada’s role in the St. Thomas, Ont., electric-vehicle battery plant, new products, including the ID Buzz, the need for a harmonized North American charging standard, and more.