Toronto, Ontario — In this week’s Tuesday Ticker, a weekend vote from Unifor raises strike suspicions, B.C.’s ElectraMeccanica starts its electric trike production and Axalta adds to its board of directors.
Weekend vote
The union representing Canadian workers at the Detroit Three automakers have voted to approve strike action if needed in their contract negotiations, according to votes that took place over the weekend.
Unifor says workers at General Motors voted 95.3 percent in favour, while those at Ford voted 96.4 percent in favour.
Workers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles FCA voted 98.4 per cent in favour of strike action.
Unifor began formal contract talks with the automakers in Toronto on Aug. 12. The union says it plans to announce on or around Labour Day the company designated as the strike target.
It says it will continue talks with that company until reaching a deal and no later than the strike deadline on Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m.
“Our members voted overwhelmingly to support their bargaining committees and our bargaining priorities, including; job security, product commitments and economic gains for all members,” Unifor national president Jerry Dias said in a statement.
“We will continue to push our agenda at the bargaining table, but remind the government that they have an active role to play in securing our auto industry’s future. A future made in Canada.”
Starting Solo
Canadian EV maker ElectraMeccanica officially kicked off production of its Solo three-wheeled electric vehicle last week at the site of its manufacturing partner in China.
The single-seat all-electric Solo, to be sold in the U.S. and starting at $18,500, has been in development for about five years and undergone steady refinement as it approached commercial production..
Early versions were hand-built at ElectraMecannica’s Vancouver facility and delivered to a few customers. The current version, with a claimed range of 100 miles and top speed of about 81 mph, features power steering and brakes, air conditioning and a Bluetooth entertainment system.
ElectraMeccanica said it will work closely on initial production with its contract manufacturing partner and strategic investor, Zongshen Industrial Group, in Chongqing, China. The Chinese company also makes motorcycles, quad bikes and other products. ElectraMeccanica said it expects to begin delivering Solos to customers on its pre-order list in late November or early December. The factory has the capacity to make 20,000 Solos per year, ElectraMecannica said.
ElectraMeccanica is focusing Solo’s initial distribution to three locations where it has set up shopping-mall retail kiosks. The automaker has outlets in southern California, Scottsdale, Ariz., and Portland, Ore., and will later expand to other U.S. West Coast markets.
Previous CEO Jerry Kroll had talked about producing the Solo in Canada but was unable to secure federal funding support.
New exec at Axalta
Axalta announced that Rakesh Sachdev has been appointed to its board of directors, effective Aug. 24. Sachdev will serve on the company’s nominating and corporate governance committee and compensation committee.
Sachdev most recently served as CEO of Platform Specialty Products Corporation, now renamed Element Solutions, a leading global specialty chemicals company, from 2016 to 2019. Prior to that, he led Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, a leading S&P 500 global life sciences and technology company, as its president and CEO from 2010 until 2015, when it was acquired by Merck KGaA.
Previously, he held executive positions at Meritor, a global supplier of automotive systems and components, including president of Asia, senior vice president of Strategy and vice president/general manager of several of its global businesses. He also spent 18 years at Cummins Inc., a global engine and power systems manufacturer, in various leadership roles, including chief financial officer of its automotive business and managing director in Mexico.
With the appointment of Sachdev, Axalta’s board is now composed of nine directors, all with unique backgrounds and experience in areas important to Axalta’s business, including executive leadership, finance, audit, management consulting and global operations, and in relevant industries, including specialty chemicals and several of Axalta’s end markets.
