Tentative agreement reached between union and Stellantis

After nearly eight hours on the picket lines, Unifor has announced that a tentative agreement has been reached for workers at its Canadian facilities — including the Windsor Assembly Plant.

While more than 3,500 workers hit the picket line Monday just after midnight, the union continued to negotiate in Toronto.

“It’s pretty miserable out (here) but we’re willing to do whatever we have to do to fight for what we want,” picket captain Shawn Bezaire said during the strike. “First strike for me, and probably for most (of the workers) in the facility.”

According to Stellantis officials, the last time Windsor Assembly was idled by a labour disruption was in 1986.

Bezaire told CTV News demands included the pattern agreements already inked with Ford and General Motors, and he said their members are hopeful for pension improvements.

🚨🚨🚨🚨Strike is over 🚨

Afternoons to report to work#uni444bargaining👊

***Please Share ****** pic.twitter.com/RRZHd7RrAL

— Local 444 Unifor (@LOCAL444UNIFOR) October 30, 2023

Unifor National President Lana Payne says there were issues that needed to be resolved.

“We took strike action in order to get this tentative agreement across the finish line,” she said.

Just over seven and a half hours later, a tentative deal was struck.

“I got a call saying come to work the strike is over. I had no idea. Honestly,” said an Assembly Plant worker on his way in.

Payne explained the guts of the deal during a news conference Monday afternoon. “It includes the core economic pattern on wages and pensions, investments as well as EV transitional supports achieved with Ford and General Motors.”

Payne says extensive discussions focused on Windsor's EV battery plant where workers will be Unifor members.

“We agreed with the company to further discussion as the plant gets up and running,” Payne said.

Greg Layson, digital and mobile editor for Automotive News Canada, says that was an important concession because the plant will be up and running during the course of the deal.

‘It does offer up some opportunity for senior members here at Windsor Assembly Plant to maybe get jobs there if the wages are the same,” said Layson who feels the ratification vote could be tight because there are many, like Brian Coombe, that don't like the pattern deal regarding pensions.

“Until they fix the pension it's a big fat no for me,” Coombe said.

He doesn’t like the thought of having to subsidize his retirement income with a part-time job.

“If you leave today you get the same pension a guy got 25 years ago. Well the price of stuff has quadrupled in 25 years.” Coombe said. “We need a pension that reflects what things cost today, not what things cost 25 years ago.”

The ratification process will begin Saturday at Caesars Windsor starting at 9 a.m.

In a statement to CTV News, Stellantis North America COO Mark Stewart said, "I am very proud of the negotiating teams and thankful for their commitment and focused effort in reaching a tentative agreement with Unifor. Once ratified, this agreement will reward our 8,000 represented employees and protect the long-term health of our Canadian operations. Out of respect for the bargaining process, we will refrain from commenting until the ratification process is complete."

The tentative agreement with Stellantis follows the pattern agreement the union reached with Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Details of the agreement, including local and facility-specific information will be made available to members prior to ratification votes. 

Highlights of the pattern 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. 

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

-- With files from CTV News Windsor's Bob Bellacicco