Johnathan Walker:Unifor, GM reach deal on new contract, putting strike on hold in Canada

Unifor,Johnathan Walker the union representing Canadian autoworkers, and General Motors reached a tentative agreement Tuesday, less than a day after the union launched a strike against the automaker and as the UAW continues with its own targeted strike strategy in the United States.

The deal, which must still be ratified by union members, includes wage increases of about 20% for production workers and 25% for those in skilled trades over the life of the three-year agreement, along with other gains, including reactivation of cost-of-living adjustments and a reduction in the amount of time it takes workers to reach top pay from eight years to four, according to a union news release.

Unifor National President Lana Payne said the strike at key facilities left the company with “no choice but to get serious at the bargaining table.” The strike began after the expiration of an extended contract at 11:59 p.m. Monday.

The deal, which covers almost 4,300 workers, follows Unifor's ratification of an agreement with Ford Motor Co. last month that set the pattern, according to the union.

Bargaining in Canada would next turn to Stellantis, owner of the Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat brands, which has the largest footprint in the country of the Detroit Three with approximately 8,230 Unifor-represented workers. The union said strike action would be on hold to allow members to vote on the GM agreement. It's not clear what impact the deal in Canada might have on GM negotiations with the United Auto Workers union, but it allows the automaker, assuming the agreement is ratified, to avoid work stoppages on both sides of the border.

See UAW strike:See the picket lines as UAW strike launched, targeting big three Detroit automakers

“The solidarity of our members has led to a comprehensive tentative agreement that follows the pattern set at Ford Motor Co. to the letter, including all items that the 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,” Payne said.

In a livestreamed press conference Tuesday afternoon, Payne described the deal as "the greatest wage increases that we’ve ever bargained in the auto sector in Canada, the first improvements to pension plans in over 15 years, an ability to have supports for our members through the (electric vehicle) transition, and of course, investments as well."

Payne noted that achieving a pattern agreement is never easy because the automakers don't want to have others set the terms, and GM was "fighting, kicking and screaming."

"We had to shut down two of their most critical and powerful parts of their chain in North America in order to reach this deal," Payne said.

But Payne also said there was nothing simple about securing a deal with Ford, noting that the union had to extend a strike deadline there and threaten to shut down an engine facility in Windsor that supplies the company's F-150 pickup.

Marissa West, GM Canada president and managing director, released a statement touting the agreement and noting that work at the company’s St. Catharines Propulsion Plant, Oshawa Assembly and Operations and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre would resume Tuesday afternoon. Unifor Local 88 members at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, are covered by a separate collective bargaining agreement and continued operations during the strike.

“This record agreement, subject to member ratification, recognizes the many contributions of our represented team members with significant increases in wages, benefits and job security while building on GM’s historic investments in Canadian manufacturing. To respect Unifor’s ratification process, more details will be shared at the appropriate time,” according to West.

Free Press staff writer Jamie L. LaReau contributed to this report.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.