CAMI union strikes deal with General Motors, potentially avoiding strike at Ingersoll, Ont., plant

The union representing workers at the CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ont., says it has reached a tentative collective agreement with General Motors (GM) after bargaining overnight.

If the agreement is ratified, workers will avoid strike action after voting 97 per cent in favour of walking off the job in August. Details of the agreement will be released to union members ata ratification meetingSept. 22.

Unifor Local 88's plant chair,Mike Van Boekel, previously told CBCthatjob security was one of the main sticking points.

"We had very clear goals heading into bargaining set by our members," Van Boekel said in a statement Wednesday morning, "and I believe that we have reached a tentative agreement that reflects these goals."

Formal talks between GM and the union began on Sept. 9, with the current agreement expiring at 10:59 p.m. Wednesday.

Local 88 says it represents roughly 1,400 workers at the CAMI Assembly plant, which produces two models of GM's BrightDrop electric commercial vans.

The Ingersoll plant underwent a roughly billion-dollar retrofit to accommodate production of the vans and batteries, which first rolled off the line in December 2022. The plant had been making the popular Chevrolet Equinox, the production of which moved to Mexico.

In April, workers at the plant returned to the production line after a months-long shut down, announced in September, prompted by battery supply delays.