Auto worker members of Canadian union Unifor have ratified the new wage deal with FCA Canada, following an earlier deal with GM, and contract talks with Ford begin today (18 October) with Ford.
The union said workers voted to ratify a four-year contract that secures both investment and wage improvements.
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"Negotiations with FCA were tough, but I am proud that our union stood united and focused to push for the pattern agreement our union originally achieved with GM," said national president Jerry Dias. "This agreement helps to shift the landscape in the auto industry and it provides a solid economic increase for all of our members and their families."
All three tentative agreements with FCA were ratified with a majority vote. The production and maintenance agreement that applies to workers at the Brampton, Etobicoke and Windsor assembly plants was approved with an overall vote of 70.1%.
"All three agreements achieve the union's key priorities and offers financial gain for members at all three FCA plants," the union said in a statement.
"When our union secured the pattern we ensured that our members received the same gains as Unifor members at GM, and no one was left behind," said Unifor FCA bargaining committee chair, Dino Chiodo.
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By GlobalDataFiat Chrysler Automobiles employs 9,750 Unifor members and the new agreements contain:
- C$331m in investment. $325m for a rebuild of the Brampton assembly olant paint shop, as well as $6.4m for upgrades and refreshing die-cast machinery and equipment at the Etobicoke casting plant
- Two general wage increases of 2% each over the life of the contract
- A signing bonus of $6,000 and a $2,000 lump sum in the second, third and fourth year of the contract
- Significant improvements to the in-progression wage grid that will provide thousands of dollars of new money in income earnings and higher pay to new members (under 10 years of service)
- Benefit improvements
FCA Canada said it was "pleased that Unifor members have voted to ratify a new four-year national labour agreement, covering 9,450 employees".
"This agreement represents an investment in our Canadian workforce. With the bargaining process now complete, the company and our employees look forward to continuing to build world class products and achieving the targets set out in our five-year business plan."
It added further details of investment plans would be announced later.
