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The union representing workers at General Motors says its members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of ratifying new contracts with the automaker.
Unifor and GM agreed Aug. 22 on tentative labour contracts for more than 4,600 autoworkers in Ontario, and union members voted on them over the weekend.
The union said in a news release Sunday the three-year collective agreements increase wages for full-rate production members to $50.20 an hour and skilled trades workers to $62.71 an hour.
It said members in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock voted 80.5 per cent in favour, while members in Ingersoll voted 96.5 per cent in support.
Talks between the union and automaker began earlier this month after Unifor reached an agreement with Ford, and the union says its agreements with GM mirror the three-per-cent annual wage increases with Ford.
Unifor National President Lana Payne said the agreements commit more than $1 billion in investments to Canadian GM facilities.
“GM is making these investments in both its highly skilled Canadian workforce and facilities at a crucial time, as our domestic auto industry is under siege by the Trump Administration,” Payne said in the union’s news release.
Jack Uppal, GM Canada president and managing director, said in a statement that the ratification means the company “reached an outcome that supports our employees, strengthens our manufacturing operations and provides a solid foundation for GM’s future in Canada.”
Unifor said negotiations with GM took place under challenging circumstances, with production at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll idled and the majority of members there on indefinite layoff.
The union said it would continue to push for production to return at CAMI Assembly. It also said GM designated it as the plant of first consideration for Canadian Armed Forces defence work, if that work is awarded to GM.
Uppal said that in Oshawa, an additional $144-million investment will bring next-generation GMC Sierra Heavy-Duty production to the plant, building on a previously announced $343-million investment in next-generation truck production and manufacturing enhancements.
He said at St. Catharines Propulsion, a new $215-million investment establishes the plant as the sole source for a next-generation transmission. Combined with a previously announced $691 million for sixth-generation V8 engine production, he said total investment in St. Catharines exceeded $900 million.
“For our team at CAMI Assembly, we have extended layoff benefits to reflect our continued commitment to support employees while we take the necessary time to assess potential opportunities for the site,” Uppal said.
Unifor said other highlights of the deal include the renewal of a cost-of-living allowance, a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus for eligible members, and a $2,000 December bonus for eligible members.
Trevor Longpre, Unifor’s General Motors bargaining chairperson, said significant progress was made in “securing good, stable auto jobs and a stronger Canadian footprint.”
“But the work to bring production back to CAMI is not over. This agreement gives our Ingersoll members a bridge until we get CAMI workers back on the job,” Longpre said.
Deal amidst trade war backdrop
Canada’s auto sector is grappling with 25 per cent U.S. duties on vehicles, and U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to lift that to 50 per cent on January 1, 2027. The fate of Canadian auto plants has emerged as a central issue in the stalled U.S.-Canada trade negotiations.
U.S. and Canadian trade talks ended last week over unresolved issues, such as whether to cut duties on medium and heavy-duty vehicles that are critical for Canadian factories.
U.S. automakers had hoped the trade talks would deliver relief from Washington’s original 25 per cent tariffs that have raised the cost of shipping vehicles and parts across the border.
About 17 per cent of GM’s Chevrolet Silverado pickup-truck production – its top-selling model – is in Canada, according to research from Barclays.
Car parts can cross international borders six, seven or even eight times before ending up in a vehicle. But amid a trade war, as both Canada and the United States raise tariffs up to 50 per cent, it’s getting more expensive — and complicated — to build cars. The CBC’s Acton Clarkin breaks it down.
