CAW Says "Yes" to New Contract with CAMI

As announced yesterday, the new tentative agreement between the Canadian Auto Workers and GM's CAMI was voted upon and approved yesterday by the former. The new contract is three years long and was approved by 61 percent of production workers and 89 percent of trades workers. The new contract also states benefit cuts and guarantees a new product in the GM line-up from CAMI in 2014, to replace the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.

“Our workers recognized the importance of long-term stability, and although no one wanted these contract changes, I believe stability is what we achieved with this new agreement,” Mike Van Boekel, CAW's chair for the CAMI plant said in a statement.

The new contract freezes "wages and pensions, trims benefits, introduces a monthly health care contribution and reduces break times," CAW said. The two year lag between GM and CAMI and sets base wage parity with the American manufacturer.

"While these contract changes are difficult for our members, I hope they will help usher in a decade of prosperity for the CAMI facility, which will guarantee good jobs well into the future," CAW president Ken Lewenza added.

The CAW still has some unsettled issues with Ford and is accusing the American manufacturer of "refusing to make a commitment to a manufacturing footprint." The recently concluded agreement leaves room for hope that Ford will take note.

"This agreement with CAMI should serve as model for our negotiations with Ford, who must understand that only with a fair commitment to maintaining manufacturing in Canada can painful contract changes be possible."