Canadian auto workers, represented by Unifor, voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year labor agreement with General Motors over the weekend.
The agreement covers more than 4,300 automotive workers at the Oshawa Assembly Plant, St. Catharines Power Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Center in Ontario and expires Sept. 20, 2026. Members voted to ratify the agreement by 80.5%.
“I am proud of our members at GM for their solidarity throughout their short but decisive strike and for ratifying this contract containing life-changing improvements,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a press release Sunday. “This agreement reflects true collective bargaining. Our goal was to bring more fairness and equity to the automotive workplace and lift everyone up. We did that.”
The tentative agreement was reached Tuesday between Unifor and GM, just one day after Unifor launched a strike against the automaker.
more:Unifor’s initial deal with GM: all the details
It was modeled after the model agreement ratified with Ford Motor Co. On September 24, the contract with GM guarantees a compound wage increase of about 20% for production workers and 25% for skilled trades over the life of the agreement. It also readjusts the cost of living (COLA) for the first time since 2008 and gives retirees a new quarterly comprehensive health allowance.
Hundreds of temporary, part-time auto workers across GM’s three facilities will also be converted to full-time permanent positions by August 1, 2026, followed by GM eliminating full-time temporary positions.
“With this contract in place, hundreds of part-time workers will be converted to full-time status immediately and the abuse of the temporary worker program will end,” Jason Gale, principal negotiating lead at Unifor GM, said in a press release.
In addition, the newly ratified agreement reduces the wage progression network from eight to four years, allowing workers to reach the highest wage rate in half the time. According to Unifor’s press release, members with one and two years of seniority can expect their hourly wages to increase by up to 73% over the course of the three-year agreement.
GM Canda issued a statement thanking Unifor and its members for their determination and cooperation, while also assuring auto workers of a place in the transition to electric vehicles and the future of the auto industry.
“Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy – and business negotiations are no exception,” said Marissa West, President and Managing Director, General Motors Canada. “Together, we have secured a deal that recognizes the many contributions of our 4,200 representative team members through significant pay increases, benefits and job security, while positioning GM Canada to remain competitive into the future…There is little we can’t accomplish when we work.” together.”
The contract ratification comes more than a month after the UAW, Unifor’s U.S. counterpart, launched a strike on September 14 against targeted factories of Detroit’s three automakers – Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. The strike has since expanded three times, leaving about 34,000 of the UAW’s 150,000 auto industry members waiting for a resolution.
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