Unifor members at CAMI ratify agreement with General Motors

Unifor members at CAMI ratify agreement with General Motors

January 18, 2021

INGERSOLL—Members of Unifor Local 88 who work at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario have voted by 91% to ratify a new agreement with General Motors that brings $1 billion in investments to begin large scale production of electric commercial delivery vans.

“This is the result of collaboration with the Ontario and federal governments, and General Motors. I want to thank them and the Local 88 Master Bargaining Committee for working so hard to secure jobs for our members and create new ones for this community,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.

General Motors will spend $1 billion to transform the CAMI assembly plant into Canada’s first mass-market producer of electric commercial vans to support its new business line BrightDrop.

Unifor Local 88 represents 1900 workers at the CAMI Assembly plant, where work will begin immediately to prepare for EV600production starting in November as the Chevrolet Equinox program is phased out in 2023.

This agreement brings the total investment negotiated by Unifor to nearly $6 billion after agreements were ratified with General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler in 2020 that also included support from the federal and Ontario governments.

“To achieve this level of commitment for auto manufacturing shows what can happen when we have a collective vision to secure this sector and create good jobs for Canadians,” said Dias.

“While the process was complicated by COVID-19, we refused to let a pandemic impede our progress to find ‘made in Canada’ solutions.

This three-year agreement follows a historic pattern setting deal first reached with Ford that includes a five per cent increase to hourly rates, a $7,250 productivity and quality bonus, a total of $4,000 in inflation protection bonuses, improved benefits, shift premiums, and restoration of the 20 per cent wage differential for skilled trades.

The deal also makes major improvements to the New Hire Program and includes an agreement to create an anti-racism action plan, establish a new Racial Justice Advocate in the workplace.

“The stakes going into these negotiations were high with the Equinox program ending, and there wasn’t a time during these difficult negotiations that we were not thinking about our members and their families, and we are grateful to all the members for their solidarity as we worked to ensure our plant is viable,” said Mike Van Boekel, Chair of the Master Bargaining Committee.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

To arrange interviews via Zoom, Skype or Facetime please contact Unifor Communications Representative Kathleen O’Keefe at kathleen.okeefe@unifor.org or 416-896-3303 (cell).

 

CAMI Bargaining Report

The Bargaining Report can been downloaded at the following link.

GM/CAMI MASTER BARGAING REPORT 2021

Electric commercial van production coming to CAMI Assembly if GM deal ratified

INGERSOLL—Unifor Local 88’s bargaining committee, representing 1,900 workers at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario has reached a tentative agreement with General Motors today.

“This tentative deal delivers significant investment, new products, new jobs, and job security, achieving our union’s key bargaining priorities during these challenging times,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.

General Motors has agreed to invest $1 billion dollars to begin large-scale commercial production of EV600, an all electric van, starting next year.

More details of the tentative agreement will be presented to Local 88 members at an online ratification meeting scheduled for Sunday, January 17. Results of the ratification vote are scheduled to be released Monday, January 18.

This contract, if ratified, will bring the total investment negotiated by Unifor to nearly $6 billion dollars after new agreements were ratified with General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler in 2020 that included support from the federal and Ontario governments. The Ford deal reached in September included $1.95 billion to bring battery electric vehicle production to Oakville and a new engine derivative to Windsor and the Fiat Chrysler agreement included more than $1.5 billion for a state-of-the-art platform to build both Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles and Battery Electric Vehicles. In November, General Motors agreed to a $1.3 billion dollar investment to bring 1,700 jobs to Oshawa plus more than $109 million to in-source new transmission work for the Corvette and support continued V8 engine production in St. Catharines.

Bargaining with General Motors in Ingersoll opened on January 4, 2021 under extraordinary circumstances and heightened public health restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Both Unifor and General Motors worked diligently to ensure full compliance with the restrictions.