Stellantis auto workers ratify new collective agreement: Unifor

On Monday, auto workers voted to ratify a new three-year collective agreement between Unifor and Stellantis, representing approximately 8,200 workers.

According to a news release from Unifor, a new three-year collective agreement representing 8,200 workers at Stellantis was ratified on Monday, one week after the two parties initially reached a tentative agreement following a nearly eight hour-long strike.

“Unifor members at Stellantis will receive the same significant wage increases, pension improvements and electric vehicle (EV) transition income security measures as Unifor members at Ford and General Motors,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

The agreement includes workers at the Windsor Assembly Plant, Brampton Assembly Plant and Etobicoke Casting Plant, along with agreements covering Unifor members working in the office, clerical and engineering unit, fire and security unit and PDC units in Mississauga and Red Deer.

"In my 30 year tenure, this is one of the best deals was on a table," said Dave Cassidy, Unifor Local 444 president. 

 

LOCAL 444, 1285, 1459, 195, 1498 AND 815 RATIFICATION PERCENTAGES 

• Master Production and Maintenance Agreement ratified 60 per cent overall (60 per cent production and 60.3 per cent skilled trades)
• Office, Clerical and Engineering Agreement ratified 86.5 per cent
• Fire and Security Agreement ratified 85.2 per cent
• Mississauga PDC Agreement ratified 86.1 per cent
• Red Deer PDC Agreement ratified 100 per cent

“I am proud of our members for their support and solidarity over the course of these negotiations, including their brief but necessary strike action that helped make this historic agreement possible,” Payne said.

"Everybody would always like to have more. I mean, was there anything left on the table? No, nothing was left on the table. Were people disappointed? Absolutely. People are disappointed. 40 per cent obviously were, but 60 per cent were happy with it," added Cassidy. 

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AGREEMENT INCLUDE

• Base hourly wage increases of nearly 20 per cent for production and 25 per cent for skilled trades over the lifetime of the agreement.
• By the end of the three-year agreement, a top-rate production assembler will be paid $44.52 per hour, in addition to a forecasted $1.61 cost-of-living allowance (a total of $46.13); a journeyperson skilled trades worker will be paid $55.97 per hour, in addition to a forecasted $1.61 cost-of-living allowance (a total of $57.58)
• General wage increases in each year of the agreement with 10 per cent in year one, two per cent in the second year and three per cent in the third year.
• Reactivation of the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) in December 2024
• Improvements to all pension plans
• Wage progression reduced from eight to four years
• A $10,000 "productivity and quality bonus" for full-time employees and $4,000 for temporary part time (TPT) workers
• Two new additional paid holidays: Family Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

“Our bargaining team faced a unique set of challenges with so much uncertainty over the EV transition, the future of our facilities, and a growing affordability crisis. This contract needed to deliver in a big way that ensured none of our members were left behind,” said Unifor Stellantis Master Bargaining Chair James Stewart. “I believe that we have accomplished our goals and we appreciate the support of our members throughout the bargaining process”

Cassidy added that the new agreement closely follows the pattern agreement, with some minor improvements, and confirms investment and product committments for Windsor, Brampton and Etobicoke. 

"We have a great future here in Windsor. We have new product coming in. We're coming back to three shifts. We're going to have a battery plant. We're going to have jobs that are coming off of the battery plant. Windsor-Essex County's back on the map, and we're happy that it's restarting right here," said Cassidy.

 

GOING FORWARD 

The company said it has invested $12.6 billion into the Canadian auto sector since 2010. 

Mark Stewart, the chief operating officer for Stellantis North America, said it was always the company's intention to reward employees for their contributions to the business.

“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," he said. 

Stellantis has roughly 8,000 represented workers in Canada. Of that, Windsor Assembly employs 3,568 workers, and Brampton Assembly employs 2,443 workers.

The new contract is in effect until Sept. 20, 2026.

Monday’s ratification concludes Unifor’s three month-long talks with Detroit’s Big Three automakers.

Negotiations for 1,500 Unifor General Motors members at the General Motors CAMI plant in Ingersoll are set to begin in September 2024. 

— With files from CTV News Windsor's Rich Garton