General Motors of Canada and trade union federation Unifor have ratified new three-year collective agreements, securing approximately C$1.1bn ($791.5m) in planned and reconfirmed investments across the automaker’s Canadian operations.
The contracts cover more than 4,600 Unifor members at GM’s Oshawa Assembly Plant, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant, Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre, and CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.
The agreement covering Oshawa, St. Catharines, and Woodstock – known as the General Motors of Canada Company (GMCC) agreement – was approved by 80.5% of members, while the separate CAMI agreement received 96.5% support.
Unifor national president Lana Payne said: “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.”
Under the agreement, GM plans to invest C$144m to add next-generation Heavy-Duty GMC Sierra production to Oshawa Assembly, and C$215m to assemble a next-generation transmission in St. Catharines starting in late 2029, creating approximately 250 jobs.
The contract also reconfirms prior commitments of C$691m for sixth-generation V8 engine production at St. Catharines and C$63m for stamping and customer care and aftersales upgrades at Oshawa.
The deal mirrors the pattern settlement reached with Ford Motor Company, providing 3% annual wage increases.
GM will increase full-rate production wages to C$50.20 per hour and skilled trades rates to C$62.71 per hour by September 2028.
Eligible members will receive a C$10,000 productivity and quality bonus and a C$2,000 December bonus in 2026, alongside renewed quarterly Cost of Living Allowance adjustments.
For the idled CAMI facility, where most workers remain on indefinite layoff, GM designated the site as the plant of first consideration for Canadian Armed Forces defence contracts if awarded, and extended the Income Maintenance Plan to May 2028.
GM master bargaining chairperson Trevor Longpre said: “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.”
