Over 4,200 GM Employees Are Striking Canadian Silverado and Engine Plants

As contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and Detroit's Big Three drag on, the situation for some automakers is getting worse in other regions. At midnight last night, about 4,280 autoworkers represented by the Canadian union Unifor walked off the job at three General Motors Canada facilities after the two sides failed to work out a deal. This figure is in addition to the roughly 25,000 autoworkers in the United States who are currently on strike across GM, Stellantis, and Ford facilities.

Unifor states it was unable to reach a deal with GM because "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." The three facilities affected are the Oshawa Assembly Complex and CCA Stamped Products, where Silverado pickups are made; Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre; and St. Catharines Powertrain Plant, which makes engines for a variety of models, including the Corvette. For its part, GM says it provided a "record economic offer that recognizes the many contributions of our represented team members–past, present, and future." It claims the strike is simply a result of a few "final outstanding items" which have yet to be resolved.

The news comes after Ford was able to strike a deal with Unifor in late September. The Blue Oval employs 5,600 union autoworkers in Canada, with the new three-year deal approved by 54% of the membership.