General Motors is now facing additional production stops at three facilities in Canada after a deadline to negotiate a new deal with unionized workers lapsed, leading to roughly 4,300 employees hitting the picket lines Monday night.
Unifor, a Canadian union, set the deadline for Monday after earlier agreements with the Detroit manufacturer expired on Sept. 18.
"The company knows our members will never let GM break our pattern – not today – not ever," Unifor National President Lana Payne said. "The company continues to fall short on our pension demands, income supports for retired workers, and meaningful steps to transition temporary workers into permanent, full-time jobs."
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Led by Unifor, the workers are attempting to net the same deal Ford employees received but said GM was "stubbornly refusing" to match that contract and wage increases of up to 25%.
Unifor said Ford offered the desired wage hike in its tentative agreement late last month, while also providing wage increases of 10% for the first year followed by increases of 2% and 3% through the second and third year.
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The Ford offer included a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus to active employees, a spike in monthly basic benefits and a special allowance across defined benefit and hybrid pension plans to help transition from traditional internal combustion engine vehicle production to electric vehicle assembly facilities.
"GM Canada presented Unifor with a record economic offer that recognizes the many contributions of our represented team members – past, present, and future, however there are some final outstanding items to be resolved at the bargaining table," a GM spokesperson said in a statement sent to FOX Business. "We are committed to quickly reaching a new collective agreement so that we can all get back to work while positioning both our people and GM Canada for continued success in the future."
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The approximate 4,280 GM employees cover the company’s Oshawa Assembly & Operations, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre facilities.
According to the union, Unifor members from Locals 222, 199 and 636 will remain on strike until the pattern is met.
Meanwhile, Unifor Local 88 members at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario are covered by a separate collective agreement and will continue operations, the union said.
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Reuters contributed to this report.
