Abstract: A unique two-step process is disclosed for the surprisingly high rate of amidation of vinyl chloride (VCl) with carbon monoxide and certain amines catalyzed by an effective amount of monodentate tertiary phosphonium complexes of Pd(0). The rate is orders of magnitude faster than that of other monochloroalkenes. When compared with the three chloropropenes, the simplest alkyl-substituted derivatives of VCl, rates differ by a factor of about 40 to 70 with ammonia as the amine. The reaction product with VCl is mainly the Michael adduct of the amine with the acrylamide produced. However, the chloroprenes give the propenamides with retention of configuration in the case of cis- and trans-1-chloropropene, and no adduct formation. The formation of this adduct has an important influence on catalyst stability since it can compete with the addition of the tertiary-phosphonium ligand from the catalyst complex.