Unifor members at GM vote 80 per cent in favour of new contract

Canada's largest private-sector union says workers at General Motors Co. have a new three-year collective agreement, with 80.5 per cent of them ratifying it in a vote held online and in person.

Canada's largest private-sector union says workers at General Motors Co. have a new three-year collective agreement, with 80.5 per cent of them ratifying it in a vote held online and in person.

The newly bargained agreement covers more than 4,300 workers at the Oshawa Assembly Plant, St. Catharines Powertrain Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre in Ontario.

Unifor national president Lana Payne expressed pride in GM workers' solidarity throughout the strike action and for ratifying the contract.

"This agreement reflects true collective bargaining," Payne said in a statement Sunday.

"Our goal was to bring more fairness and equity to auto workplaces and to lift everyone up. We did that."

General Motors agreed to follow the terms set by the Ford contract about 12 hours after Unifor members went on strike last week at GM's Oshawa assembly plant, St. Catharines propulsion plant and Woodstock parts distribution centre.

The terms of the deal matched the contract agreed to last month at Ford Motor Co., where 54 per cent of union members voted to accept the deal.