Positive news for GM's Oshawa plant / Canadian auto workers.

[ZR]

At least it's a step in the right direction. Know a few peeps that either work at the plant or spin off business's, great news for them and the local economy.


Securing hundreds of millions of dollars of investment from General Motors in its Canadian operations was worth the trade-off that Unifor made on pensions for new hires, union president Jerry Dias said Tuesday.
After a long day of bargaining, the union -- which represents about 3,900 workers at GM plants in Ontario -- reached a tentative agreement overnight with the automaker, averting a possible strike.
If ratified, the four-year deal, which includes wage increases, signing bonuses and lump sum payments, will see new hires start with a defined contribution pension plan rather than the hybrid plan for current employees

http://www.cp24.com/polopoly_fs/1.3078769.1474310400!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_225/image.jpg (http://www.cp24.com/polopoly_fs/1.3078769.1474310400!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_960/image.jpg)
Dias says making the concession was "not a difficult decision" in order to secure investments in GM's facilities in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock.
He added that 700 temporary employees will be made permanent under the deal.
There had been fears that the Oshawa facility would shut down in 2019 but Dias says the contract ensures that won't happen.
The settlement, which will go to the union members for a ratification vote on Monday, would also see some production moving from Mexico to GM's engine plant in St. Catharines -- reversing an exodus of jobs to that country.

[RedSN]

What I got from all that is: unions bend and give back some of the ridiculous benefits - jobs come back to Canada.

[CON VERT]

Just hoping they follow thru and that it's not LIP SERVICE ! until they are ready to pull the plug !!!!

[Ponyryd]

^ I complain about the execs, often actually, lol, their wages and benefits are RETARDED! Now I don't exactly agree with the wages and benefits some of the line workers get also, but I don't wanna get into that. The long and short of it is, GM can make the same product elsewhere for much less hourly pay and benefits, so for them to stay here somethings gotta give. If the workers want to keep their jobs, they need to know that and be reasonable.

[RedSN]

I don't understand why so many people complain about the working people getting a decent wage. Especially someone who has never done that type of job.
Not complaining about the working people, complaining about the non-working people.

And I did work in that type of job, albeit briefly. I worked a co-op term in the engineering department of a unionized automotive parts manufacturing plant making exhaust manifolds for GM. Most the guys were decent, hard working, good folk. But there's that one stereotype lazy asshole that gets away with murder that just sticks in your mind.
And on the odd occasion that I helped out on the production line when they were short handed, ...the murderous looks I would get would send chills down your back.

Sorry, I just have a poor opinion of unions based on personal experience.

[Speedtospare]

Not complaining about the working people, complaining about the non-working people.

And I did work in that type of job, albeit briefly. I worked a co-op term in the engineering department of a unionized automotive parts manufacturing plant making exhaust manifolds for GM. Most the guys were decent, hard working, good folk. But there's that one stereotype lazy asshole that gets away with murder that just sticks in your mind.
And on the odd occasion that I helped out on the production line when they were short handed, ...the murderous looks I would get would send chills down your back.

Sorry, I just have a poor opinion of unions based on personal experience.

All of this as a co-op student. What grade level? There are lazy assholes at every job. BTW they were giving you the "evil eye" because your a person who was taking away a job from a brother. If your co-op was on the line then they would not have an issue with it.

I love how people complain about benefits and wages. I honestly think if it were up to people like yourself we would be in a 3rd work country making $11 hr and trying to get by. If a company can take away something from there working and gain more profit they will. Corporations shit on there workers, reduce and take away whenever they can. Go after the big corporate top shelf people and leave the middle class who pays for everything alone. I was a union electrician. I deserved my 34 an hour and benefits. You make it out like its a crime to be union. I left and later tried working non union in a company of 25 guys. I was working for $21 an hour no benefits and I was expected to pick up material in my own vehicle without any form of compensation.

Now GM can hire workers at $20 an hour and give and vastly reduced pension. Can't afford a house in Oshawa at those wages. GM ship's most the work to mexico and pay them $5 and hour. I dont see any reduction in GM vehicles prices.

[G-ForceJunkie]

Glad to see GM sticking around, but I wouldn't blame them at all for leaving.

[Darkhorse]

Saw that today too, but seems like a last ditch effort to keep jobs in Canada, "final assembly" is just a way to make sure the GDP in Canada stays strong and Canadian tax breaks stick around.

[5.4MarkVIII]

All of this as a co-op student. What grade level? There are lazy assholes at every job. BTW they were giving you the "evil eye" because your a person who was taking away a job from a brother. If your co-op was on the line then they would not have an issue with it.

I love how people complain about benefits and wages. I honestly think if it were up to people like yourself we would be in a 3rd work country making $11 hr and trying to get by. If a company can take away something from there working and gain more profit they will. Corporations shit on there workers, reduce and take away whenever they can. Go after the big corporate top shelf people and leave the middle class who pays for everything alone. I was a union electrician. I deserved my 34 an hour and benefits. You make it out like its a crime to be union. I left and later tried working non union in a company of 25 guys. I was working for $21 an hour no benefits and I was expected to pick up material in my own vehicle without any form of compensation.

Now GM can hire workers at $20 an hour and give and vastly reduced pension. Can't afford a house in Oshawa at those wages. GM ship's most the work to mexico and pay them $5 and hour. I dont see any reduction in GM vehicles prices.

So if every were else you go you get payed less and the only reason you can make so much is if the union forces is. How is that money earned?
Sure it's great to be the guy making that money. Sure big corporations can some items afford it.
Unions have bankrupted and shut down many a small business. With ridicules blackmailing for unsustainable wages.

Even indirectly. I'm once again looking for a part time delivery guy for a small town business half the people that will be applying demand (yes demand they don't ask what the job pays the try and tell you what you have to pay them.) that I pay them these huge wages (more than I pay myself currently)

At some point you got to realize if 90% of people doing the exact same thing non Union are making less mabey that should tell you what the wage should be. But black mail is so much easier I guess. Untill the company has enough and your with out work that is.

[ZR]

Fiat-Chrysler goes on the hot seat today as it sits down to negotiate a new contract with its Canadian unionized workforce.
The start of talks follows on the heels of workers at General Motors accepting a new contract.
Unifor, which represents workers at the Detroit Three in Canada, calls the GM deal a major breakthrough, and says it will be used as a basis for negotiations with both Fiat-Chrysler and Ford.
Unifor president Jerry Dias hailed the contract as "historic" -- and the best deal the union has struck with one of the auto giants in the past decade.
The agreement includes a two per cent wage increase this year and another two per cent increase in September, 2019.
There is also a $6,000 initial signing bonus plus lump sum bonuses of $2,000 in each of the next three years for most employees. And GM promised to invest $554-million in its Canadian operations.
General Motors of Canada President Steve Carlisle said the deal will position the automaker's Canadian operations at the "forefront of an industry that is experiencing dramatic transformation and change."

[Rich-C]

Hard to argue against what unions have done to increase employment standards for everyone. Would non-union workers take a higher paying job that had reasonable working hours and better benefits? Of course they would. I would argue that unionized jobs pay what people SHOULD get paid to live a comfortable and reasonable life.

The problem with unions, in my opinion, is the protection of employees who take advantage of the system and don't EARN their compensation and benefits. I don't understand why management doesn't do away with the false claims to strictly time based seniority and move towards one that includes performance.

Nonetheless, great to see a win in the Ontario job market. Hopefully this will be the start of a turnaround here.

[ZR]

Hope it's the start of good things to come as well.

[RedSN]

On a side note, a lot of the slackers and game players that I worked with at GM ended up with a management job
LOL
https://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/54145856.jpg

[Gabe]

Not complaining about the working people, complaining about the non-working people.

And I did work in that type of job, albeit briefly. I worked a co-op term in the engineering department of a unionized automotive parts manufacturing plant making exhaust manifolds for GM. Most the guys were decent, hard working, good folk. But there's that one stereotype lazy asshole that gets away with murder that just sticks in your mind.
And on the odd occasion that I helped out on the production line when they were short handed, ...the murderous looks I would get would send chills down your back.

Sorry, I just have a poor opinion of unions based on personal experience.

I also did a 16 month coop at a tier one supplier for stampings and welded assemblies (control arms). had very much the same experiences as you have recalled Don.