SHORTEST STRIKE EVER
Canadian auto workers, GM reach tentative contract agreement, ending strike that began at midnightTue, October 10, 2023
TORONTO (AP) — General Motors and the union representing Canadian auto workers reached a tentative contract agreement Tuesday, ending a strike that began just after midnight.
About 4,300 striking workers at two GM factories and a parts warehouse will return to work Tuesday afternoon and will vote on the three-year deal later.
Lana Payne, president of the Unifor union, said that, when faced with the strike, GM had no choice but to follow a pattern agreement reached earlier with Ford.
She says the deal includes “all items that the company had initially fought us on such as pensions, retiree income supports and converting full-time temporary workers into permanent employees over the life of the agreement.”
GM said that it reached the deal with Unifor around 1 p.m. Tuesday after workers went on strike at the Ontario facilities just after midnight. The deal recognizes employee contributions with significant pay and benefit increases and additional job security, the automaker said.
The new agreement covers autoworkers at GM’s assembly plant in Oshawa, a powertrain plant in St. Catharines, and a parts distribution center in Woodstock.
The workers struck at GM after Unifor workers ratified a new three-year labor contract with Ford late last month.
The agreement with GM, if ratified by members, would leave only Jeep maker Stellantis without a contract with Unifor.
Unifor said that the deal includes pay raises of nearly 20% for production workers and 25% for skilled trades. Workers would get 10% in general pay raises in the first year, with 2% in the second and 3% in the third. The company also agreed to restore cost-of-living pay raises starting in December of 2024. Temporary workers would get pay raises, and those with at least one year of service would get permanent jobs.
Workers who get defined-contribution retirement plans will move to a new defined-benefits pension on Jan. 1, 2025.
Payne said earlier that the union had a lot of bargaining leverage with GM because the factory in Oshawa is working around the clock to build profitable Chevrolet pickups. However, in her remarks to reporters she said “demographics," presumably of an aging work force, were a major hurdle.
The deal ratified by workers at Ford of Canada raises base hourly pay for production workers by almost 20% over three years.
Until Tuesday, Unifor had avoided going on strike against the Detroit automakers, unlike its U.S. counterpart, the United Auto Workers. About 25,000 UAW members are on strike against Detroit automakers at five targeted factories and 38 parts distribution centers.
Unifor members at a fourth GM facility, the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, are covered by a separate bargaining agreement and did not strike.
The union is Canada's largest in the private sector, with 315,000 workers in many industries.
The Associated Press
Unifor reaches tentative deal with General Motors that mirrors Ford agreement
The Canadian Press
Tue, October 10, 2023
TORONTO — Unifor said Tuesday afternoon that within hours of workers going on strike, General Motors had agreed to a tentative deal that mirrors the one it reached with Ford Motor Co. last month.
"It is thanks to the solidarity of you, the members, that it was possible to move General Motors to accept the pattern to the letter," said Unifor president Lana Payne in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
Close to 4,300 autoworkers at GM's Oshawa assembly plant, St. Catharines propulsion plant, and Woodstock parts distribution centre had gone on strike at midnight after the company resisted the terms set out in the Ford deal.
Payne said key areas of contention included pensions, retiree income supports and converting full-time temporary workers into permanent employees, but that the company had relented on all fronts.
General Motors Canada president Marissa West said the deal includes significant increases in wages, benefits and job security.
"This record agreement, subject to member ratification, recognizes the many contributions of our represented team members," she said in a press release.
Workers at the three operations were expected to go back to work Tuesday afternoon, while Unifor said ratification votes would be scheduled in the coming days.
The terms of the three-year contract include base hourly wage increases of nearly 20 per cent for production and 25 per cent for skilled trades (when compounded), a faster timeline for workers to reach the top wage tier, improvements to pensions and two new paid holidays.
Industry analyst Sam Fiorani said GM has more senior-level workers than Ford so the terms are more expensive for it to meet.
"Their older workers are already getting good benefits, and to up their benefits even more would cost GM a lot of money relative to the workforce they have."
Fiorani, vice-president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, said that GM had the resources to hold out for some time since it has several other plants producing the pickup trucks being made in Oshawa, but that it would have been costly for the automaker.
"Every lost Silverado and Silverado HD unit is worth tens of thousands of dollars of profit ... every lost unit is felt on the bottom line."
Unifor workers at Ford overall voted 54 per cent in favour of the deal, though skilled trades members in Windsor and Oakville voted down the deal.
If GM members vote in favour of the contract, Unifor would then turn its attention to reaching the same terms with Stellantis.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2023.
The Canadian Press
Tue, October 10, 2023
TORONTO — Unifor said Tuesday afternoon that within hours of workers going on strike, General Motors had agreed to a tentative deal that mirrors the one it reached with Ford Motor Co. last month.
"It is thanks to the solidarity of you, the members, that it was possible to move General Motors to accept the pattern to the letter," said Unifor president Lana Payne in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
Close to 4,300 autoworkers at GM's Oshawa assembly plant, St. Catharines propulsion plant, and Woodstock parts distribution centre had gone on strike at midnight after the company resisted the terms set out in the Ford deal.
Payne said key areas of contention included pensions, retiree income supports and converting full-time temporary workers into permanent employees, but that the company had relented on all fronts.
General Motors Canada president Marissa West said the deal includes significant increases in wages, benefits and job security.
"This record agreement, subject to member ratification, recognizes the many contributions of our represented team members," she said in a press release.
Workers at the three operations were expected to go back to work Tuesday afternoon, while Unifor said ratification votes would be scheduled in the coming days.
The terms of the three-year contract include base hourly wage increases of nearly 20 per cent for production and 25 per cent for skilled trades (when compounded), a faster timeline for workers to reach the top wage tier, improvements to pensions and two new paid holidays.
Industry analyst Sam Fiorani said GM has more senior-level workers than Ford so the terms are more expensive for it to meet.
"Their older workers are already getting good benefits, and to up their benefits even more would cost GM a lot of money relative to the workforce they have."
Fiorani, vice-president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, said that GM had the resources to hold out for some time since it has several other plants producing the pickup trucks being made in Oshawa, but that it would have been costly for the automaker.
"Every lost Silverado and Silverado HD unit is worth tens of thousands of dollars of profit ... every lost unit is felt on the bottom line."
Unifor workers at Ford overall voted 54 per cent in favour of the deal, though skilled trades members in Windsor and Oakville voted down the deal.
If GM members vote in favour of the contract, Unifor would then turn its attention to reaching the same terms with Stellantis.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2023.
Unifor workers reach agreement with Canadian GM plants in less than 24 hours
Tue, October 10, 2023
Canada's Unifor union started a strike against General Motors on Tuesday. File Photo by Jeff Kowalsky/EPA-EFE
Oct. 10 (UPI) -- The Canadian autoworkers union Unifor launched a strike against General Motors Tuesday, joining thousands of Americans on the picket lines.
In less then 24 hours, the union reached a tentative agreement with the automaker Tuesday afternoon.
More than 4,280 Unifor workers had begun striking at the Oshawa Assembly Complex and CCA Stamped Products, St. Catharines Powertrain Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Center.
By 1:30 p.m. ET, though, the union reached an agreement.
"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."
Earlier in the day, the union had said members at Unifro Locals 222, 199 and 636 would remain on strike "until the pattern is met" while members at the Cami Assembly plant in Ontario would continue operations as they are covered by a separate collective agreement.
In a letter to union members, Unifor leaders said that they worked throughout the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend to reach a deal but GM "made it clear they would not agree to meet the conditions of the pattern agreement" as talks entered the final hours.
Unifor said at the time that GM failed to meet its demands on pension, income supports for retired worker and steps to transition temporary workers into permanent full-time jobs.
The new tentative agreement covers more than 4,000 autoworkers at Unifor locals 222, 199 and 636, putting strike actions on hold to allow members to vote on the plan.
Unifor is Canada's largest private-sector union, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy.
The two sides had averted a strike last month, reaching a tentative agreement.
Tuesday's short strike comes on the heels of the United Auto Workers strike in the United States against General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis.
In the United States, thousands of United Auto Workers connected with Mack Trucks walked off the job in three states Monday after rejecting a new pay deal. The union said the strike would start at facilities in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Florida.
The strike comes after UAW turned down the latest pay offer from the truck manufacturer, with 73% of the 4,000-member union body voting against a tentative agreement reached just one week ago.
The UAW strike against the "Big Three" automakers in the United States, approached one month on Tuesday with the union asking for record pay increases in light of strong profits made by the carmakers since the COVID-19 pandemic. The union had cited some progress last week in negotiations.
Tue, October 10, 2023
Canada's Unifor union started a strike against General Motors on Tuesday. File Photo by Jeff Kowalsky/EPA-EFE
Oct. 10 (UPI) -- The Canadian autoworkers union Unifor launched a strike against General Motors Tuesday, joining thousands of Americans on the picket lines.
In less then 24 hours, the union reached a tentative agreement with the automaker Tuesday afternoon.
More than 4,280 Unifor workers had begun striking at the Oshawa Assembly Complex and CCA Stamped Products, St. Catharines Powertrain Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Center.
By 1:30 p.m. ET, though, the union reached an agreement.
"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."
Earlier in the day, the union had said members at Unifro Locals 222, 199 and 636 would remain on strike "until the pattern is met" while members at the Cami Assembly plant in Ontario would continue operations as they are covered by a separate collective agreement.
In a letter to union members, Unifor leaders said that they worked throughout the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend to reach a deal but GM "made it clear they would not agree to meet the conditions of the pattern agreement" as talks entered the final hours.
Unifor said at the time that GM failed to meet its demands on pension, income supports for retired worker and steps to transition temporary workers into permanent full-time jobs.
The new tentative agreement covers more than 4,000 autoworkers at Unifor locals 222, 199 and 636, putting strike actions on hold to allow members to vote on the plan.
Unifor is Canada's largest private-sector union, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy.
The two sides had averted a strike last month, reaching a tentative agreement.
Tuesday's short strike comes on the heels of the United Auto Workers strike in the United States against General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis.
In the United States, thousands of United Auto Workers connected with Mack Trucks walked off the job in three states Monday after rejecting a new pay deal. The union said the strike would start at facilities in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Florida.
The strike comes after UAW turned down the latest pay offer from the truck manufacturer, with 73% of the 4,000-member union body voting against a tentative agreement reached just one week ago.
The UAW strike against the "Big Three" automakers in the United States, approached one month on Tuesday with the union asking for record pay increases in light of strong profits made by the carmakers since the COVID-19 pandemic. The union had cited some progress last week in negotiations.
Thousands of GM workers at Ontario plants begin strike
Naimul Karim
Tue, October 10, 2023
About 4,300 workers at General Motors of Canada Co. have gone on strike for the first time since 1996 as they demand pension improvements, higher pay and more job security.
Canada’s largest private-sector union, Unifor, which represents employees at the Big Three automakers, hoped to get a similar deal to the one ratified by Ford Motor Co. of Canada’s workers last month. That deal included wage increases of almost 80 per cent in some cases and productivity bonuses of up to $10,000 for full-time workers.
However, the union wasn’t able to reach an agreement with GM by the 11:59 p.m. deadline on Oct. 9.
“We bargained a really great deal with Ford Motor Company a number of weeks ago, and our job here was to do everything we could to pattern that agreement with GM,” Unifor national president Lana Payne said at a press conference on Oct. 10. “We are not there yet. As a result, we are on picket lines.”
GM Canada president and managing director Marissa West said the company presented Unifor with a “record economic offer,” but that there are some “outstanding items” that need to be resolved at the bargaining table.
“We are committed to quickly reaching a new collective agreement so that we can all get back to work,” she said in a statement on Oct. 10.
Unifor’s work stoppage means that GM is now facing work stoppage both in the United States and in Canada. In the U.S., United Auto Workers (UAW) members have been on strike at the Big Three since Sept. 15.
In Ontario, Unifor’s strike includes autoworkers at three Ontario plants in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock.
Aside from pension improvements and wage hikes, Unifor is asking that more temporary employees be given permanent work status so that they can get better job security.
Payne is confident of getting a similar agreement as they one Ford agreed to, but she said it was going to be a challenge.
“No company likes to take the terms and conditions that you have negotiated with another company and apply it to their own operations. This is never an easy thing to do,” she said, but added that GM would not be able to “break our pattern — not today — not ever.”
Jessica McNally, a quality inspector at GM, said the pattern agreement would be “life-changing” for the company’s workers.
Defined-benefit pension plans may be poised for comeback
What unions have won in hard-fought summer of strikes
“We live paycheque to paycheque right now, we have had issues with part shortages, where sometimes shifts get cancelled, we get sent home early, and it really affects us, our paycheques,” she said in a video posted on Unifor’s website. “Getting these gains, will make it easier for people.”
• Email: nkarim@postmedia.com | Twitter: naimonthefield
Naimul Karim
Tue, October 10, 2023
About 4,300 workers at General Motors of Canada Co. have gone on strike for the first time since 1996 as they demand pension improvements, higher pay and more job security.
Canada’s largest private-sector union, Unifor, which represents employees at the Big Three automakers, hoped to get a similar deal to the one ratified by Ford Motor Co. of Canada’s workers last month. That deal included wage increases of almost 80 per cent in some cases and productivity bonuses of up to $10,000 for full-time workers.
However, the union wasn’t able to reach an agreement with GM by the 11:59 p.m. deadline on Oct. 9.
“We bargained a really great deal with Ford Motor Company a number of weeks ago, and our job here was to do everything we could to pattern that agreement with GM,” Unifor national president Lana Payne said at a press conference on Oct. 10. “We are not there yet. As a result, we are on picket lines.”
GM Canada president and managing director Marissa West said the company presented Unifor with a “record economic offer,” but that there are some “outstanding items” that need to be resolved at the bargaining table.
“We are committed to quickly reaching a new collective agreement so that we can all get back to work,” she said in a statement on Oct. 10.
Unifor’s work stoppage means that GM is now facing work stoppage both in the United States and in Canada. In the U.S., United Auto Workers (UAW) members have been on strike at the Big Three since Sept. 15.
In Ontario, Unifor’s strike includes autoworkers at three Ontario plants in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock.
Aside from pension improvements and wage hikes, Unifor is asking that more temporary employees be given permanent work status so that they can get better job security.
Payne is confident of getting a similar agreement as they one Ford agreed to, but she said it was going to be a challenge.
“No company likes to take the terms and conditions that you have negotiated with another company and apply it to their own operations. This is never an easy thing to do,” she said, but added that GM would not be able to “break our pattern — not today — not ever.”
Jessica McNally, a quality inspector at GM, said the pattern agreement would be “life-changing” for the company’s workers.
Defined-benefit pension plans may be poised for comeback
What unions have won in hard-fought summer of strikes
“We live paycheque to paycheque right now, we have had issues with part shortages, where sometimes shifts get cancelled, we get sent home early, and it really affects us, our paycheques,” she said in a video posted on Unifor’s website. “Getting these gains, will make it easier for people.”
• Email: nkarim@postmedia.com | Twitter: naimonthefield
Canada's autoworker union orders a strike against GM after failure to reach a new contract
Jamie L. LaReau, USA TODAY NETWORK
Tue, October 10, 2023
Nearly 4,300 autoworkers in Canada went on strike against General Motors early Tuesday.
GM and Unifor, the union that represents autoworkers in Canada, failed to reach a tentative agreement by the time Unifor's contract with GM expired at 11:59 p.m. Monday, prompting Unifor to order a strike at midnight for 4,280 members, it said.
It is the first strike of an automaker in Canada since 1996 and comes after the union reached a tentative agreement with Ford Motor Co., which the workforce ratified on Sept. 24.
Unifor members stand on strike at General Motors Oshawa Assembly Plant, where the automaker builds the Chevrolet Silverado pickup. The Unifor members went on strike at midnight Oct. 10, 2023 after Unifor and GM failed to reach a tentative agreement by the time their contract expired at 11:59 p.m. Oct. 9, 2023.
The affected facilities are GM's Oshawa Assembly Complex and CCA Stamped Products, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant and GM's Woodstock Distribution Center, all in Ontario. Unifor Local 88 members at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, are covered by a separate collective agreement and continue operations.
“This strike is about General Motors stubbornly refusing to meet the pattern agreement" the union got with Ford, said Unifor National President Lana Payne. She said the Unifor members at the GM facilities will stay on strike until a pattern agreement is met.
See UAW strike: See the picket lines as UAW strike launched, targeting big three Detroit automakers
In a statement, GM Canada Communications Executive Director Jennifer Wright said, “While we have made very positive progress on several key priorities over the past weeks, we are disappointed that we were not able to achieve a new collective agreement with Unifor at this time. GM Canada remains at the bargaining table and is committed to keep working with Unifor to reach an agreement that is fair and flexible."
Unifor's Payne said in a media briefing that the remaining key issues are the union's pension demands, income that supports retired workers and meaningful steps to transition temporary workers into permanent, full-time jobs.
“When you’re looking at an agreement we reached with Ford Motor Co. … it was economically significant, a lot of improvements. It was the first pension improvement in 15 years with our Ford members. We bargained the highest wage increases that we’ve seen bargained here in Canada," Payne said, noting the union achieved job security too around the transition to electric vehicles.
Unifor members on strike at General Motors Oshawa Assembly Plant, where the automaker builds the Chevrolet Silverado pickup. The Unifor members went on strike at midnight Oct. 10, 2023 after Unifor and GM failed to reach a tentative agreement by the time their contract expired at 11:59 p.m. Oct. 9, 2023.
The Ford agreement includes a 15% increase in wages over the contract term and employees in a defined contribution retirement plan hired on or after Nov. 7, 2016, would be enrolled in a new pension plan in 2025 that would include monthly pensions for workers and surviving spouses. Other improvements include an increase in the monthly benefit for those workers in a pension plan.
Payne said Unifor made some progress with GM throughout Monday, but not enough for a tentative agreement.
"We’re negotiating and will stick with it until we get a deal our members will support," Payne said. "We’ve been very clear from the beginning that we expect GM to live up to this agreement with Ford … we’re showing GM that we mean business here and we want to get the pattern deal we got with Ford."
Unifor's U.S. counterpart, the UAW, has been on strike since Sept. 15 when it launched a targeted Stand Up Strike against GM, Ford and Stellantis, the company that makes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat vehicles. It's expanded the strike twice since that time to include all 38 of GM and Stellantis parts distribution centers and then to Ford's Chicago Assembly and GM's Lansing Delta Township Assembly plants on Sept 29. About 25,000 UAW autoworker members are on strike of the 150,000 in the United States.
Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Canada's autoworkers strike General Motors and join UAW workers in US
Jamie L. LaReau, USA TODAY NETWORK
Tue, October 10, 2023
Nearly 4,300 autoworkers in Canada went on strike against General Motors early Tuesday.
GM and Unifor, the union that represents autoworkers in Canada, failed to reach a tentative agreement by the time Unifor's contract with GM expired at 11:59 p.m. Monday, prompting Unifor to order a strike at midnight for 4,280 members, it said.
It is the first strike of an automaker in Canada since 1996 and comes after the union reached a tentative agreement with Ford Motor Co., which the workforce ratified on Sept. 24.
Unifor members stand on strike at General Motors Oshawa Assembly Plant, where the automaker builds the Chevrolet Silverado pickup. The Unifor members went on strike at midnight Oct. 10, 2023 after Unifor and GM failed to reach a tentative agreement by the time their contract expired at 11:59 p.m. Oct. 9, 2023.
The affected facilities are GM's Oshawa Assembly Complex and CCA Stamped Products, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant and GM's Woodstock Distribution Center, all in Ontario. Unifor Local 88 members at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, are covered by a separate collective agreement and continue operations.
“This strike is about General Motors stubbornly refusing to meet the pattern agreement" the union got with Ford, said Unifor National President Lana Payne. She said the Unifor members at the GM facilities will stay on strike until a pattern agreement is met.
See UAW strike: See the picket lines as UAW strike launched, targeting big three Detroit automakers
In a statement, GM Canada Communications Executive Director Jennifer Wright said, “While we have made very positive progress on several key priorities over the past weeks, we are disappointed that we were not able to achieve a new collective agreement with Unifor at this time. GM Canada remains at the bargaining table and is committed to keep working with Unifor to reach an agreement that is fair and flexible."
Unifor's Payne said in a media briefing that the remaining key issues are the union's pension demands, income that supports retired workers and meaningful steps to transition temporary workers into permanent, full-time jobs.
“When you’re looking at an agreement we reached with Ford Motor Co. … it was economically significant, a lot of improvements. It was the first pension improvement in 15 years with our Ford members. We bargained the highest wage increases that we’ve seen bargained here in Canada," Payne said, noting the union achieved job security too around the transition to electric vehicles.
Unifor members on strike at General Motors Oshawa Assembly Plant, where the automaker builds the Chevrolet Silverado pickup. The Unifor members went on strike at midnight Oct. 10, 2023 after Unifor and GM failed to reach a tentative agreement by the time their contract expired at 11:59 p.m. Oct. 9, 2023.
The Ford agreement includes a 15% increase in wages over the contract term and employees in a defined contribution retirement plan hired on or after Nov. 7, 2016, would be enrolled in a new pension plan in 2025 that would include monthly pensions for workers and surviving spouses. Other improvements include an increase in the monthly benefit for those workers in a pension plan.
Payne said Unifor made some progress with GM throughout Monday, but not enough for a tentative agreement.
"We’re negotiating and will stick with it until we get a deal our members will support," Payne said. "We’ve been very clear from the beginning that we expect GM to live up to this agreement with Ford … we’re showing GM that we mean business here and we want to get the pattern deal we got with Ford."
Unifor's U.S. counterpart, the UAW, has been on strike since Sept. 15 when it launched a targeted Stand Up Strike against GM, Ford and Stellantis, the company that makes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat vehicles. It's expanded the strike twice since that time to include all 38 of GM and Stellantis parts distribution centers and then to Ford's Chicago Assembly and GM's Lansing Delta Township Assembly plants on Sept 29. About 25,000 UAW autoworker members are on strike of the 150,000 in the United States.
Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Canada's autoworkers strike General Motors and join UAW workers in US
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