Unifor Sets Sights on General Motors as Next Target in Detroit 3 Bargaining

General Motors will be the next target company in Unifor’s deal with the three Detroit automakers, national president Lana Payne announced Monday.

Talks will begin Tuesday, Payne said in a video updated Monday afternoon.

The template for the deal with GM will be based on the agreement that Unifor members at Ford ratified on Sunday.

“Just like we had with Ford Motor Company, we have a lot of negotiating leverage with GM. Their Oshawa facility works around the clock producing very lucrative pickup trucks. The St. Catharines engine and transmission facilities, as well as the Ford’s powertrain operations, is a hub for GM’s North American operations. Our Woodstock distribution center is also a key element of the company’s parts network,” Payne said.

“I do not expect this to be an easy round of talks and I want to ensure that our union is in the best position to move this pattern forward for the benefit of all members, active and retired,” he added.

This latest round of negotiations will include 4,300 workers at the St. Catherine propulsion plant, the Oshawa assembly complex and the Woodstock parts distribution center.

Payne said the decision to turn to GM next in the negotiation is based on negotiating leverage, due to demand and key position.

The decision not to next turn to Stellantis, which operates the Windsor and Brampton assembly plants and is Unifor’s largest automotive employer, is based on “more information” the union says it needs about upcoming investments and retooling at the Brampton assembly plant. , as well as the re-equipment period of the Windsor assembly plant.

On Sunday, Ford workers ratified a new three-year contract by 54 percent.

Ford, in a statement released Sunday, called the deal “historic,” as it announced the company had agreed to the largest pay increase in the company’s Canadian history.

The automaker has about 5,600 unionized employees in Canada, primarily in Oakville, Ontario, and Windsor, Ontario.

“I think when people look at it and look at it as a whole, it’s a very comprehensive set of improvements for workers,” said Unifor President Lana Payne.