Union for GM workers ‘prepared for inevitable’ as strike deadline draws near

Going into the discussions, union president Jerry Dias said he was aware negotiations with GM would be tough – but that was precisely why the company was chosen.

United Auto Workers President Dennis Williams said that the U.S. union will support Canada’s unionized auto workers during contract talks with General Motors Co, but declined to say whether the UAW would refuse work at GM plants in the event of a Canadian strike.

Speaking briefly at a Toronto hotel before the day’s talks began, Dias said he is cognizant of the looming strike deadline of 12 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT) Tuesday, by which time workers would go on strike if the parties do not reach a deal.

Unifor represents more than 23,000 autoworkers at GM, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV in Canada.

But if workers at its Ingersoll, Ont., CAMI plant support the strike and refuse to install engines and transmissions diverted from USA or Mexican plants, it would be more damaging for GM.

Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, said a strike would be hard for his Canadian members, but worth it if it means securing the future of GM’s Oshawa plant.

Denise Hammond, a spokeswoman for Unifor, said progress was being made at the bargaining table with the automaker and the union would continue talks around the clock.

Hammond said Unifor remains “hopeful” that it will reach a labor agreement with GM as its midnight strike deadline approaches. The facility’s other assembly line, which produces the Chevrolet Impala, the Buick Regal and the Cadillac XTS, has no vehicles scheduled past 2019. He said the union will not extend its strike deadline.

GM declined to comment Sunday on what progress has been made, referring to earlier statements that the company wants to reach “a mutually beneficial and competitive new agreement”. In negotiations with GM there are 4,000 Unifor members in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock.

Unifor is looking to secure wage increases. improvements to the “new hire” program and retirement incentives, but primarily the union is looking to lock down new product for the GM assembly plant in Oshawa.

GM and other auto makers have tried to run their plants at 100 per cent capacity or higher – through the use of overtime and extra shifts – to meet the high demand. Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing more than 310,000 workers.

The work stoppage would also impact production at St. Catharines, which builds V-6 and V-8 engines and transmissions for 12 models, including the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.

In a September 8 letter to plant manager Gary Duff, Local 88 Unifor officials said their members “will not handle or work with these parts”.