BRIEFLY / AUTOS : Canadian Auto Workers Pick Ford for Talks

The Canadian Auto Workers will negotiate first with Ford Motor Co. on a labor accord that will set a pattern for contract talks with General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler. The CAW chose Ford partly because the United Auto Workers union said it won’t negotiate first with the world’s No. 2 auto maker, CAW President Buzz Hargrove said. The CAW contract with Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler expires at midnight Sept. 21. The UAW is opposed to Ford selling or spinning off its Visteon Automotive Systems parts unit, a move that could lead to a separate labor contract for Ford workers in that division. The CAW’s 49,000 workers at the three largest auto makers in North America don’t include Visteon employees. “We’re pleased to be selected,” Ford spokesman Jim Hartford said. “There are advantages in that you have an opportunity to fashion an agreement that meets the needs of Ford and its employees.”