OEMs

Unifor Reaches Labor Deal with GM Hours After Striking

October 10, 2023

Canada’s Unifor union reached a tentative labor agreement with GM Canada on Tuesday, Oct. 10.

The announcement came just hours after the union announced a strike action by union members at GM’s St. Catharines Propulsion Plant, Oshawa Assembly & Operations, and the Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre. All are located in the province of Ontario.

A letter from Unifor to its members said workers must report for their regularly scheduled shifts beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

“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, 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,” said a letter signed by Unifor leaders.

“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,” GM Canada president and managing director Marissa West said in a statement.

Union members must now ratify the agreement. However, ratification is never a guarantee.

For example, United Auto Workers (UAW) members at Mack Trucks in the US just rejected a labor deal reached last week, opting to strike instead.

Ford of Canada workers represented by Unifor ratified their new labor agreement on Sunday, Sept. 24., by a narrow margin, with 54% voting in favor of consenting to the deal.

The UAW remains on strike at select Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis plants in the US. A union update on Friday, Oct. 6, said progress was being made in talks with the Big Three. Therefore the union would not be expanding its strike to other facilities at that time.

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held a variety of positions within the steel industry since 2007, including reporting and editing for Steel Business Briefing/Platts, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and Kallanish Commodities, as well as marketing for what was then known as ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (now AM/NS Calvert). After a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel in 2021 and has covered the flat rolled, tubular, and trade areas of the industry. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.