After a strike that lasted just over 12 hours, Unifor and General Motors reached a tentative agreement.
Employees at Oshawa Assembly Plant, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant, and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre walked off the job just after midnight Monday.
“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,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The solidarity of our members has led to a comprehensive tentative agreement that follows the pattern set at Ford Motor Company to the letter, including all items that company had initial fought us on such as pensions, retiree income supports and converting full-time temporary workers into permanent employees over the life of the agreement.”
The tentative agreement follows the pattern set by an agreement reached with Ford Motor Company late last month.
The pattern includes hourly wage increases of nearly 20 per cent for production and 25 per cent for skilled trades over the life of the three year agreement, a signing bonus, and a committment to convert full-time temporary workers to permanent by the end of the agreement. Workers will also get two new paid holidays for Family Day and National Truth and Reconciliation.
“All members will benefit now that the pattern is in place at GM, whether they’re temporary workers, new hires, or already at the top of the pay scale,” said Unifor Ford Master Bargaining Chair Jason Gale. “This agreement delivers the kind of historic pay increases our members need and significant pension improvements that will protect their living standards in retirement.”
More details about facility-specific information will be made available at the ratification votes.
Unionized workers at Ford voted 54 per cent in favour of ratifying a three-year agreement late last month.
Negotiations will shift to Stellantis once the GM agreement is ratified.
