A union notice directing some Stellantis truck drivers to stay off the Gordie Howe International Bridge is offering an early glimpse into how existing commercial agreements could affect traffic shifting to the new crossing. The notice was posted Thursday on a Facebook page used to share information with FCA Transport members of UAW Local 212, a Michigan-based union representing workers within Stellantis’ in-house trucking operation in the U.S. “This information is specific to FCA Transport Drivers,” the post read. “This is a message to my membership, who can get disciplined if using the bridge in our company semi trucks.” The post did not suggest the direction applies to all Stellantis traffic, nor does Local 212 represent employees working inside the Windsor Assembly Plant. Instead, it affects which crossing is used by the FCA Transport drivers covered by the notice when operating company trucks between Canada and the United States. Union cites flat-rate Ambassador Bridge contract According to the accompanying notice, FCA Transport currently pays the Ambassador Bridge a flat rate of $160,000 per month, regardless of how many crossings are made. The union said the company previously paid more than $400,000 monthly on a per-crossing basis. The post did not specify whether those figures are in Canadian or U.S. dollars. CTV News has not independently confirmed the amounts. The notice said FCA Transport would first have to notify the Ambassador Bridge of its intention to terminate the agreement before beginning to use the Gordie Howe Bridge. It claimed the contract requires 60 days’ notice. “Until that process happens, do not use the Gordie Howe Bridge,” the notice reads. Under the arrangement described by the union, sending a company truck across the Gordie Howe Bridge could generate an additional toll while FCA Transport continues paying its existing flat monthly rate to the Ambassador Bridge. Comments on the Facebook post were disabled, with the union suggesting that people were accusing the move of being political in nature. “This is not about politics,” the post read after comments were disabled. As of Friday, the post appears to have been removed from the UAW Local 212 Facebook page altogether. CBP questions paperwork warning The Facebook message also warned members about potentially being pulled into customs because of incorrect paperwork if they used the new bridge. However, information provided to CTV News by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official on background suggests the choice between the two Detroit crossings would not ordinarily create that type of problem. Commercial carriers generally submit an electronic manifest at least one hour before a truck arrives at the border. That document identifies the port of entry rather than the individual bridge being used. Both the Ambassador Bridge and Gordie Howe Bridge fall under the Port of Detroit. As a result, a manifest submitted for Detroit would not ordinarily restrict a driver to one of those two crossings. Even if a truck was initially routed through Port Huron but arrived in Detroit instead, the discrepancy could typically be corrected at the primary inspection booth. A routing mismatch alone would not normally result in a penalty or automatically send the driver for secondary inspection. The manifest is also generally submitted electronically by the company’s customs broker, rather than being prepared by the driver. Based on the information provided by CBP, the direction to FCA Transport drivers appears to be an internal company matter rather than a customs restriction. Stellantis says it intends to use new bridge Stellantis would not confirm or dispute the union’s description of the Ambassador Bridge contract, citing its policy against discussing proprietary information. The automaker said it views the Gordie Howe Bridge as an important addition to the Detroit-Windsor border and intends to use it to support just-in-time manufacturing operations in both countries. However, Stellantis did not say when the FCA Transport drivers covered by the union notice would begin using it, whether the reported 60-day termination process has started, or why drivers could face discipline for choosing the new crossing. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority referred questions about FCA Transport operations to Stellantis. However, WDBA did say it has been engaging with carriers, logistics providers, and other commercial stakeholders interested in incorporating the Gordie Howe Bridge into their cross-border operations. Those discussions include the bridge’s commercial facilities and tolling options. The authority did not say whether Stellantis or FCA Transport is among the companies involved in those discussions. CTV News has also asked UAW Local 212 and the Ambassador Bridge for further clarification about the notice and reported agreement — but did not receive a response from them by publication time.
