UNIFOR and GM reach tentative deal in Ingersoll

A tentative agreement has been reached between Unifor and workers at CAMI Assembly in Ingersoll.

Details of the tentative agreement will be released to union members first at a ratification meeting scheduled to take place Sunday.

UNIFOR Local 88’s Mike Van Boekel said that he’s optimistic about the proposed agreement, “They're [GM] going to go two shifts, starting in January. So we'll get everybody back to work, hopefully everybody back to work in January.”

Workers have been impacted by battery shortages since March 2020, resulting in rotating layoffs for workers.

The rotating layoffs have hit workers hard, says Van Boekel, “Yeah, it's been extremely tough on our members. It's very tough to budget. It's tough to raise a family. And just with the way, we've been caught and, interest rates going up, and we've been kind of big war with just price inflation.”

Currently, more than 1,100 union members work at the CAMI Assembly plant and currently build the Chevrolet BrightDrop EV 600 and EV 400. Approximately 200 union members work at the GM Battery Assembly facility to assemble Ultium battery modules.

Van Boekel said that workers have been feeling the shortfall in hours alongside an inflationary squeeze on their wages, “It just if you're not getting a full paycheck, it makes it very tough on a family, tough on the community. It got bad enough, we actually started a food bank in our own union hall for our own members. And I know people have a hard time believing it, but if you're only going to work 50% of the time, the money dries up fast.”

In a statement to CTV News, GM Canada said, "This agreement, subject to member ratification, recognizes the many contributions of our CAMI employees and provides pattern increases in wages, benefits and job security."

Van Boekel believes that the agreement will be good news for workers, "I would like to thank GM, to be honest, for recognizing what our members have gone through. And, they really answered the call and the talks actually, the last couple days proceeded pretty good. And, we came up with some unique ideas that I think our members are going to be surprised at, and I think, quite content"

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.