Stellantis autoworkers vote to ratify new collective agreement, Unifor says

Unifor says Stellantis production workers voted 60 per cent in favour of a new three-year contract with the automaker.

The deal covers workers at the company’s Windsor and Brampton, Ont., assembly plants and Etobicoke Casting Plant.

Approval for smaller agreements covering Stellantis workers in other units ranged from 85 to 100 per cent.

The union reached the tentative deal with the automaker, which mirrored deals already in place with Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co., after a brief strike on Oct. 30.

Unifor members at Ford had voted 54 per cent in favour of the contract, while GM members voted 81 per cent in favour.

The Stellantis contract, which will cover around 8,200 workers, will see general wages rise by 10 per cent in the first year, two per cent in the second and three per cent in the third.

1:07 Negotiations begin between Stellantis and Unifor

The deal also adds two paid holidays, makes pension improvements and halves the time for workers to reach full pay, among other gains.

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Alongside the improvements also gained by Ford and General Motors members, Unifor national president Lana Payne said in a statement that the contract confirms investment and product commitments for the three plants, including the retooling of the Brampton plant to build electric vehicles.

In a press release, Stellantis said its operations in Canada will continue to play a critical role as it prepares to introduce more battery-electric vehicles in Canada and the U.S. by the end of the decade.

“It was always our intention to reward our Unifor-represented employees for their contributions to our business during this round of bargaining,” said Mark Stewart, chief operating officer of Stellantis in North America, in the release.

“The Canadian workforce plays a key role in the Stellantis global Dare Forward strategic plan as we make the transition to electrification, so it was especially important for us to reach an agreement that secures the future of the company for our employees, their families and our customers.”