Toronto – Unifor and General Motors have successfully negotiated a tentative agreement following strike actions at three crucial facilities, namely the Oshawa Assembly Plant, St. Catharines Powertrain Plant, and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre.
The breakthrough in negotiations, which Unifor National President Lana Payne credited to the unwavering solidarity of its members, is poised to bring an end to the strikes that have impacted production at these facilities. Payne stated, “When faced with the shutdown of these key facilities General Motors had no choice but to get serious at the table and agree to the pattern.”
The tentative agreement closely follows the pattern set at Ford Motor Company, encompassing various critical elements such as pensions, retiree income supports, and the conversion of full-time temporary workers into permanent employees over the life of the agreement.
This landmark deal is expected to cover nearly 4,300 autoworkers at Unifor locals 222, 199, and 636. The strike actions are now on hold, allowing the membership to vote on the tentative agreement.
Unifor Ford Master Bargaining Chair Jason Gale praised the agreement, emphasizing that it would benefit all members, from temporary workers to those at the top of the pay scale. He stated, “This agreement delivers the kind of historic pay increases our members need and significant pension improvements that will protect their living standards in retirement.”
The pattern agreement with General Motors closely aligns with the one reached with Ford Motor Company the previous month. Detailed information, including local and facility-specific aspects of the agreement, will be shared with members ahead of ratification votes.
Key highlights of the pattern agreement include substantial base hourly wage increases for production and skilled trades over the lifetime of the agreement. By the end of the three-year deal, top-rate production assemblers are set to earn $44.52 per hour, and journeyperson skilled trades workers will receive $55.97 per hour, in addition to cost-of-living allowances.
In addition, there will be general wage increases in each year of the agreement, the reactivation of the Cost of Living Allowance in December 2024, reduced wage progression timelines, and significant increases in the start rate for Temporary Part-Time and production workers.
The agreement also stipulates the conversion of full-time temporary workers to permanent status, improvements to all pension plans, and new quarterly payments for Canadian retirees, called the Universal Health Care Allowance. Two additional paid holidays, Family Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, have also been introduced.
With this agreement, General Motors and Unifor are poised to bring stability and positive changes to the automotive industry while benefiting workers across the sector.
Unifor, as Canada’s largest private-sector union, represents over 315,000 workers in various critical industries.