Why the ratified GM‑Unifor contracts matter for Canadian workers and the auto industry

On August 22, Unifor and General Motors reached tentative labour contracts covering more than 4,600 autoworkers in Ontario, and union members voted on the agreements over the weekend.

The union said in a news release Sunday that the three‑year contracts raise the full‑rate production wage to $50.20 an hour and the skilled‑trades wage to $62.71 an hour.

Members in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock voted 80.5 % in favour, while members in Ingersoll voted 96.5 % in support, according to the union’s statement.

Unifor National President Lana Payne said the agreements commit more than $1 billion in new investments to Canadian GM facilities. Jack Uppal, GM Canada president and managing director, added that an extra $144 million will fund next‑generation GMC Sierra Heavy‑Duty production at Oshawa, and a $215 million investment at St. Catharines Propulsion will make the plant the sole source for a next‑generation transmission, bringing total St. Catharines spending to over $900 million.

Unifor also highlighted a renewal of the cost‑of‑living allowance, a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus and a $2,000 December bonus for eligible members.

The deals were negotiated while the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll remains idled and most workers there are on indefinite layoff, and they come as Canada’s auto sector faces a 25 % U.S. duty on vehicles.

Jack Uppal said the ratification means GM has reached an outcome that supports employees, strengthens manufacturing operations and provides a solid foundation for the company’s future in Canada. Trevor Longpre, Unifor’s General Motors bargaining chairperson, said the agreements secure stable auto jobs and a stronger Canadian footprint.

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