CAW members ratify new three year agreement with General Motors

TORONTO, May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- CAW members working at General Motors locations across Ontario have ratified a new collective agreement by 84 per cent following a series of meetings held May 16 and May 17. This agreement covers approximately 13,000 CAW members at General Motors.

The agreement closely follows a pattern established at Ford two weeks earlier and includes product commitments by General Motors to both the Oshawa Car and Truck plant and the St. Catharines facilities.

"We entered this round of bargaining knowing the unprecedented economic and political challenges facing auto workers in Canada," said CAW President Buzz Hargrove. "Despite the odds being stacked against us we were committed to reaching an agreement that would protect the important gains our union has made over the years. I'm pleased to say that we did that."

The new three-year agreement resists two-tier wages and provides productivity and quality bonuses, improved restructuring incentives, benefit improvements, COLA increases in both second and third years and improved language on health and safety issues among other gains.

"I commend the work of our Master Bargaining Committee members who did a tremendous job negotiating a strong settlement in the face of incredible adversity," said Chris Buckley, CAW/GM master bargaining committee chairperson and president of CAW Local 222.

The union also negotiated an historic close-out agreement for Local 1973 members at GM's Windsor Transmission plant. During bargaining the company announced that the plant will close in 2010, eliminating approximately 1,400 jobs.

The union reached early agreements with both General Motors and Chrysler Thursday morning, more than four months before the contract expiration.

The results by location are as follows:

CAW Local 1973, Windsor
Production: 98% in favour
Skilled Trades: 94 % in favour
Combined total: 97% in favour

CAW Local 199, St. Catharines
Production: 86% in favour
Skilled Trades: 89% in favour
Combined total: 86% in favour

CAW Local 222, Oshawa
Production: 84% in favour
Skilled Trades: 69% in favour
Combined total: 80% in favour

CAW Local 636, Woodstock
Production: 73% in favour
Skilled Trades: 83% in favour
Combined total: 73% in favour
Combined Production: 87%
Combined Skilled Trades: 78%

Source: Canadian Auto Workers

CONTACT: on each location, please contact CAW Communications: Shannon
Devine, (cell) (416) 302-1699 or Angelo DiCaro (cell) (416) 606-6311

2008-05-17 14:35:06 0364460 PRNEWSWIRE