Unionized GM workers vote to ratify new agreements with automaker
Written by The Canadian Press on August 30, 2026
The union representing workers at General Motors says its members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of ratifying new contracts with the automaker.
Unifor and General Motors agreed on tentative labour contracts for more than 4,600 autoworkers in Ontario on Aug. 22, and union members voted on them over the weekend.
The union says in a news release that the three-year collective agreements increase wages for full-rate production members to $50.20 an hour and skilled trades workers to $62.71 an hour during the life of the contracts.
It says members in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock voted 80.5 per cent in favour, while members in Ingersoll voted 96.5 per cent in support.
Talks between the union and automaker started earlier this month after Unifor reached an agreement with Ford, and the union says its agreements with GM mirror the three-per cent annual wage increases with Ford.
Unifor National President Lana Payne says the agreements commit more than $1 billion in investments to Canadian GM facilities.
“GM is making these investments in both its highly skilled Canadian workforce and facilities at a crucial time, as our domestic auto industry is under siege by the Trump Administration,” Payne said in the union’s news release.
Payne said the investments include 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.
The union said negotiations with GM took place under challenging circumstances, with the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll idled and the majority of members there on indefinite layoff.
The union said it made clear it will continue to push for production to return at CAMI Assembly. It also said GM designated it as the plant of first consideration for Canadian Armed Forces defence work, if that work is awarded to GM.
Trevor Longpre, Unifor’s General Motors bargaining chairperson, thanked the negotiating team.
“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. This agreement gives our Ingersoll members a bridge until we get CAMI workers back on the job,” Longpre said.
Unifor said other highlights of the deal include the renewal of a cost-of-living allowance, a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus for eligible members and a $2,000 December bonus for eligible members.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 30, 2026.
The Canadian Press