July 11 (Reuters) - Ford Motor said on Saturday it has reached a tentative agreement with Canadian auto union Unifor on a three-year national labor contract. 

The contract covers more than 5,000 unionized employees in Canada, the company said. 

Here is what to know: 

-- Ford and Unifor did not immediately respond outside regular business hours to a Reuters request for comment on details of the agreement.

-- Unifor began negotiations with Ford last month, commencing talks on new contracts with Detroit's Big Three automakers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, seeking better pay, job security and benefits for its nearly 19,000 members at those companies.

-- The union said last month it had started with Ford because the automaker has been most committed to continuing its operations in Canada.

-- The agreement is subject to ratification by Ford-Unifor members.

-- Existing collective agreements between Unifor and the automakers expire on September 20.

-- The union began talks earlier than usual, citing worsening economic conditions.

-- Some 6,000 workers have been laid off across plants owned by the three automakers as the companies have shifted or paused production at several facilities.

(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru)