Unifor members at GM vote 80 per cent in favour of new contract
TORONTO –
Canada’s largest private-sector union says staff at General Motors Co. have a brand new three-year collective settlement, with 80.5 per cent of them ratifying it in a vote held on-line and in particular person.
The newly bargained settlement covers greater than 4,300 staff on the Oshawa Assembly Plant, St. Catharines Powertrain Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre in Ontario.
Unifor nationwide president Lana Payne expressed delight in GM staff’ solidarity all through the strike motion and for ratifying the contract.
“This agreement reflects true collective bargaining,” Payne stated in a press release Sunday.
“Our goal was to bring more fairness and equity to auto workplaces and to lift everyone up. We did that.”
General Motors agreed to comply with the phrases set by the Ford contract about 12 hours after Unifor members went on strike final week at GM’s Oshawa meeting plant, St. Catharines propulsion plant and Woodstock components distribution centre.
The phrases of the deal matched the contract agreed to final month at Ford Motor Co., the place 54 per cent of union members voted to simply accept the deal.
The settlement cuts the wage development grid from eight to 4 years, lowering the time it takes for staff to achieve the highest price of pay. The union stated that it’s particularly important for staff on the Oshawa Assembly Plant, the place nearly all of them have been employed when the plant reopened in 2021.
Wages for top-of-scale staff in manufacturing is to extend by 20 per cent and 25 per cent for expert trades. The settlement additionally brings again the cost-of-living allowance for the primary time since 2008 to assist defend staff’ wages from inflationary stress and can profit retirees with a brand new quarterly common well being allowance.
The settlement can be to assist many part-time staff throughout GM amenities take everlasting full-time roles.
Unifor will now flip its consideration to reaching the identical phrases with Stellantis.
The firm has greater than 8,000 workers at two meeting crops and a casting plant, and has a bigger footprint than both Ford or GM.
Payne stated she is anticipating extra robust negotiations forward.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Oct. 16, 2023.
