General Motors and the company’s unionized Canadian workers have ratified three-year agreements, the automaker and the union announced Sunday, Aug. 30.

The new agreements between GM and Unifor will result in wage increases for the employees as well as new investments in manufacturing in Canada.

The agreements are on behalf of more than 4,600 unionized Unifor members at four facilities in Ontario. These include the Oshawa Assembly Plant, CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre.

“With the ratification of new three-year collective agreements with Unifor, we have reached an outcome that supports our employees, strengthens our manufacturing operations and provides a solid foundation for GM’s future in Canada,” said Jack Uppal, president and managing director of GM Canada, in a news release.

Ontario manufacturing investments

GM said it will invest about $1.4 billion (Canadian) over the next three years at its Oshawa and St. Catharines plants.

This includes $144 million in newly announced money at Oshawa Assembly to bring production of the next-generation GMC Sierra HD to the plant. The plant already produces the heavy duty truck’s twin, the Chevrolet Silverardo HD.

This money builds on the previously announced $343 million to bring next-gen truck production to the plant.

“It means Oshawa will now build both of GM’s next-generation heavy-duty trucks, the GMC Sierra HD and the Chevrolet Silverado HD, strengthening the plant’s role in one of the company’s most important vehicle segments while building more of the trucks Canadians rely on every day,” Uppal said.

GM will also spend $215 million at St. Catharines Propulsion to establish the facility as the sole source for a next-gen transmission.

This is new funding that is on top of previously announced investments. The company previously announced it would spend $691 million to establish sixth-generation V8 engine production there.

What the workers are getting

The workers will be receiving three per cent raises in each of the three years of the agreement.

This will result in a full-rate hourly wage of $50.20 per hour for production members and $62.71 per hour for skilled trades workers.

There’s also a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus for eligible employees and $2,000 December bonus for eligible members.

Retirees Universal Healthcare Allowance payments will be increased with extended payments including surviving spouses.

“These agreements commit more than $1 billion in vital investments to Canadian GM facilities, with a new single source next-generation transmission at the St. Catharines Propulsion Plant and the return of next-generation heavy-duty GMC Sierra production to Oshawa,” Unifor national president Lana Payne said in a news release.

The union said it will continue to push for production to return to the idled CAMI Assembly in Ingersoll.

GM said it is committed to opportunities at the facility and designated it as the plant of first consideration for the allocation of Canadian Armed Forces defence work if that work is awarded to GM.

The agreement also extends the Income Maintenance Plan to eligible members on layoff until May 2028.

Stellantis negotiations are next

Unifor has now reached collective agreements with Ford and General Motors and will soon launch into similar contract negotiations with Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and other brands.

---