TORONTO, Aug. 30, 2026 /CNW/ -- Unifor members at General Motors voted overwhelmingly to ratify contracts that secure new products and investment, while also delivering the wages and benefit improvements in the union's pattern agreement.
"These agreements commit more than one billion dollars in vital investments to Canadian GM facilities, with a new single source next-generation transmission at the St. Catharines Propulsion Plant and the return of next-generation Heavy-Duty GMC Sierra production to Oshawa," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "GM is making these investments in both its highly skilled Canadian workforce and facilities at a crucial time, as our domestic auto industry is under siege by the Trump Administration."
Negotiations with GM took place under challenging circumstances, with the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario idled and the majority of members on indefinite layoff.
The union made clear that it will continue to push for production to return at CAMI Assembly. GM committed to seek opportunities for the CAMI facility and designated it as the plant of first consideration for the allocation of Canadian Armed Forces defence work if that work is awarded to General Motors. The agreement also extends the Income Maintenance Plan to eligible members on layoff until May 2028.
"I thank the negotiating team for their hard work to reach this tentative agreement that delivers solid gains for our members at a time of upheaval for our industry," said GM Master Bargaining Chairperson Trevor Longpre. "We made significant progress in securing good, stable auto jobs and a stronger Canadian footprint, but the work to bring production back to CAMI is not over. This agreement gives our Ingersoll members a bridge until we get CAMI workers back on the job."
The three-year collective agreement mirrors the 3% annual wage increases in the Detroit Three pattern agreement, set by Unifor with Ford Motor Company. The contract increases wages for full-rate production members to $50.20/hour and Skilled Trades workers to $62.71/hour during the life of the contracts.
The new contracts cover more than 4,600 Unifor members at GM Ontario facilities in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock (the "GMCC" agreement) and the GM Assembly Plant in Ingersoll (the "CAMI" agreement).
Unifor members covered by the GMCC Agreement voted 80.5% in favour. Members covered by the GM CAMI agreement voted 96.5% in support.
Highlights include:
C$144 million to add next generation Heavy-Duty GMC Sierra truck to Oshawa Assembly.
C$215 million to assemble next-generation transmission in St. Catharines, with work anticipated to begin in late 2029.
Prior commitments of C$691 million to support sixth generation V8 engine in St. Catharines and $63 million toward stamping and CCA upgrades in Oshawa enshrined in the collective agreement.
Plan to mitigate layoffs at Oshawa Assembly.
Renewal of Cost of Living Allowance.
$10,000 Productivity and Quality bonus for eligible members.
$2,000 December Bonus for eligible members.
Increase in Retirees Universal Healthcare Allowance payments and extend payments to include surviving spouses.
View the Master and Local Bargaining brochures here.
For more information visit Autotalks.ca.
About
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 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.
Noah Note: So to answer from a few stories, GM has been dangling CAMI for LUV for almost a year now, it isn't new. We've talked about it plenty. They've pushed the idea of it hard. Issue on a lot of things is, at least on my perspective, it hasn't really been seen with fanfare among many.
Protecting the automotive industry is critical to supporting Canada’s national defence. It is a primary source of skilled workers, a major backbone of Ontarios Industrial capacity, and one of our advantages when it comes to attracting investment and interest abroad, especially in a defence capacity.
Under no circumstances should we let go of that without a fight, even in spite of what some say of letting go. To me that is a catastrophic deindustrialization, one that not only hinders but outright cripples Canada's National Security ecosystem, from critical supply of parts to innovation in areas like battery technologies.
What I do think, on projects like LUV, DAME, LFE, is that we'll very likely see a bit of 'puzzle play' to make sure that everything fits into the broader economic picture, and maximizes what the feds hope to be a tool to drive continued work in the automotive sector.
That includes making sure 'everyone gets enough' to be happy and comfortable for the time being. None of the current projects will provide permenant demand to industry, but they don't have too. They just gotta but time and get us to the next step, whatever that may be.
Procurement is inherently political in itself, and the current bout of funding has always had the string of economic development attached to it. People I think are still not used, or maybe comfortable, with the idea that the Feds aren't gonna be playing by the old system. They are making the system as they see fit, universally amd with precedent.
There be a lot a changing, and I feel like there could be a book of the drama and the background written on a lot of current projects. There is no hesitation about picking winners and losers, pushing through choices voewed within the national interest. There is little that I feel is ever off the table these days.
It will come quick, the moment it can happen I think it will, and you will see the consuquences of that soon. There are always sacrifices to be made in any approach, always risks that we take in trying to catch up. However, LUV is definetly a project that is as much about the broader industry as it is with itself.
They're gonna burn the whole system down and have a toast to it's ashes no matter what. We're just all along for the adventure.
I’m not following the burn the house down comment. Could you please explain?