Canada’s Unifor Also Reaches Tentative Deal With All Automakers
Canadian union Unifor wrapped a very brief strike on Monday after reaching a tentative deal with Stellantis. The union’s actions didn’t even last a full day before workers were notified that the strike had ended.
The resulting deal mimics what we’ve seen offered to the UAW after taking on all three American automakers since mid-September, with the Canadian pay bumps looking a little leaner than the percentages seen in the United States. Still, it’s a pretty good deal yielding Unifor members a noteworthy increase in hourly wages and a shorter path to receive top-level pay.
"The agreement puts in place all the elements of our pattern agreement, the protections autoworkers need throughout the EV transition, and next-generation products our members will build for years to come," Unifor Stellantis Master Bargaining Chair James Stewart stated.
Unifor says it’s been offered a base hourly wage increase of almost 20 percent for line workers and 25 percent for skilled trades workers over the life of the contract. Cost-of-living adjustments will also be reintroduced by the end of 2024, along with bolstered pension plans, two additional paid holidays, and some fresh bonuses.
The union said the deal followed the pattern agreement reached in discussions with General Motors and Ford Motor Company.
“I am proud of our members at every Stellantis facility for their quick and decisive action during this brief and effective strike action,” Said Unifor national President Lana Payne. “This agreement will considerably improve the living standards of every Unifor member at Stellantis.”
The two new paid holidays will be "Family Day" and the "National Day for Truth and Reconciliation." There will also be a $10,000 (CA) Productivity and Quality bonus for full-time employees and $4,000 (CA) for Temporary Part Time.
Unifor estimates the average Canadian "production assembler" will be paid roughly $44.50 per hour at the top rate by the end of the three-year contract. This is in addition to a forecasted cost of living allowance of $1.61 per hour. A "journeyperson" (journeyman) or skilled trades worker will be paid just under $56 per hour in addition to cost-of-living adjustments of their own.
The deals have yet to be ratified by union members, at which point a comprehensive list of the terms will be made public.
[Image: Unifor]
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A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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Why not just go to "journeyhuman"? Lol.
Those wages may seem high to some. But you need to remember that in the Greater Toronto area the average house price is about $1.2 million. That a public school teacher will make about $90k and be able to collect a defined benefit pension when they hit the '85 factor'. That a first class police constable can easily earn more than $110k per year with a defined benefit pension after 30 years. And that firefighters make just under $100k.