The Canadian Auto Workers are putting all their eggs in Ford's basket in contract talks.

Union head Ken Lewenza says Ford has shown the most willingness in the last 3 or 4days to reach a new contract.  He says the CAW will work around the clock to get it.

He says General Motors *Chrysler still have to plug away at proposals, but the focus is on Ford.

The union & automaker are talking ahead of a deadline of midnight on Monday.  Lewenza says the CAW is prepared "as a very last resort" to strike if there's no clear signal a deal is coming soon.

At issue are wages.  The CAW has pitched having new hires earn less, only at first, but take longer to reach the top of the pay scale.

The automakers have been pushing for a permanent drop in wages for fresh employees, similar to the deal they reached with American auto workers.