Canadian labour union Unifor announced on Sunday that its members voted in favour of a contract with General Motors (GM), providing respite for the automaker during a larger strike by hourly workers in the United States.
Canadian Labour Support
Unifor, representing around 4,300 GM workers in Oshawa, St. Catharines, and Woodstock, revealed that 80.5% of its members supported the agreement. This development came shortly after the union reached a tentative deal with GM, ending a strike at three Canadian GM facilities.
The contract with GM in Canada followed the precedent set with Ford Motor, which reached an agreement with Unifor last month. Key components of the deal included substantial base hourly wage increases for production and skilled trades over the three-year agreement. The contract also outlined the return of cost-of-living allowances (COLA) by the end of 2024.
US Strikes
While Unifor resolved its negotiations with GM, approximately 9,200 members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in the US engaged in strikes, impacting two GM assembly plants and 18 parts distribution centres. As a result, GM had to furlough approximately 2,300 US workers.
Pattern Bargaining Strategy
Unifor applied a “pattern bargaining” strategy, securing an agreement with Ford before moving on to GM. Negotiations with Chrysler parent company Stellantis are next on the agenda for Unifor. Conversely, the UAW adopted a different approach, simultaneously bargaining with all three automakers.
Unifor’s core demands have revolved around improved wages, pensions, support in transitioning to electric vehicles, and increased investment commitments from automakers. It’s essential to note that the workers at GM’s CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, are covered under a separate contract.