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Unifor has selected General Motors in Canada as the next target company in the union’s negotiations with Detroit Three automakers. The announcement was just made by Unifor National President Lana Payne in a video message to members. (AutoInformed: Canadian Unifor Workers Ratify Ford Contract)
“We’ve got an incredibly strong pattern agreement at Ford that will serve us well over the coming years. Our job now is to negotiate that pattern in the form of a renewal collective agreement with General Motors and Stellantis,” said Payne. “General Motors will be our next target company. Starting tomorrow Unifor will be at the table with GM.”
Unifor’s negotiations with GM cover ~4300 workers at the St. Catharines Powertrain Plant, Oshawa Assembly Complex and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre. Unifor members at the Powertrain Plant build 6.8-liter, 5.3-liter and 3.6-liter engines for a variety of vehicles, powertrains for the Chevrolet Equinox and Corvette, as well as a variety of engine component parts. Workers at the Oshawa plant build light- and heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado trucks and the plant’s stamping operations supply parts for GM North America.
“Just as we had with Ford Motor Company, we hold a lot of negotiating leverage with GM. Their Oshawa facility is working around-the-clock producing very lucrative pick-up trucks. The St. Catharines engine and transmission facility, like Ford’s powertrain operations, is a lynchpin for GM’s North American operations. Our Woodstock distribution center is also a key element of the company’s parts network,” Payne told members. “I don’t expect this to be an easy round of talks and I want to make sure our union is best positioned to move this pattern forward for the benefit of all members, active and retired,” she said.
“With just days left before Monday’s deadline, we want to update our GM members on where negotiations currently stand. While there has been movement in local and sub-committee talks, General Motors continues to resist key elements of the pattern agreement. Major issues of contention include GM’s full-time temporary workers classification, the universal health allowance for retirees and future product investment commitments.” said Unifor National President Lana Payne members on Friday evening 6 October.
Canadian autoworkers union Unifor said it has set a 9 October deadline to reach a tentative agreement with General Motors. “Unifor informed GM that the union has set a negotiating deadline for Monday, October 9 at 11:59 pm.,” Unifor said Thursday in a bargaining update on its website.