Discussions between Unifor and GM are scheduled to begin on Thursday, and the union set a strike deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 5. The talks will cover about 1,600 hourly workers, most of them at the St. Catharines plant.

At FCA's Windsor minivan plant, questions from members might focus on how firm FCA is in its commitment to spend up to $1.5 billion on retooling for an electric — or plug-in hybrid — vehicle. In Brampton, some workers might be more concerned about its lack of major investments.

The new board slated to preside over the combined Fiat Chrysler-PSA next year is loaded with the kind of executive talent that should help the automaker grapple with many emerging global challenges, but some voids remain.

A truck needs to stand out in some compelling way. But the Titan never claimed best in class in any of the metrics that truck buyers really care about.