CAW says shop floor leaders at GM endorse deal by margin of 99 per cent

The Canadian Auto Workers union says 99 per cent of its shop floor leaders at General Motors have endorsed a tentative four-year deal with the automaker.

 Union members in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock, Ont., will vote on the deal on Wednesday and Thursday.

An agreement reached with Ford last week was ratified over the weekend by a margin of 82 per cent.

Talks continue with Chrysler, the last of the Detroit Three automakers still at the negotiating table.

The CAW has told Chrysler workers that the Ford ratification allows it to devote its full attention to getting a deal.

The agreement Ford workers accepted—which set the pattern for talks with the other two U.S. automakers—included no wage increases or changes to pension plans for existing employees.

However, each worker will get $2,000 a year in the second, third and fourth years to cover cost-of-living increases, plus a $3,000 ratification bonus.

Long-term care provisions have been capped at $800 per month for new hires and the prescription drug plan has been changed to reduce costs.