Tentative FCA, Unifor deal 'good' for Windsor, Ken Lewenza says

A tentative agreement signed between Unifor and Fiat Chrysler is the best deal possible for autoworkers in Windsor, Unifor's former national president says.

Late Monday, Unifor announced it reached a deal with the automaker that closely follows the pattern set in negotiations with General Motors.

Among other things, It includes a wage increase each year for three years, a guarantee of investment in Canada and a lump sum payment of $6,000.

• Five things to know about the Unifor, FCA tentative deal
• Contract deal with Fiat Chrysler includes investments in factories, wage hikes, Unifor says
• Tentative deal between Unifor, FCA, follows pattern set in GM agreement

"It's a good deal," Ken Lewenza, a longtime leader at the CAW and Unifor told CBC. "In Windsor, there's a lot of money being put in the pockets of the active members."

Unifor's national president Jerry Dias, and Dino Chiodo, the president of the Unifor local at FCA's Windsor Assembly Plant praised the deal shortly after it was signed. But reaction has been mixed for rank-and-file members.

Key issues in the contract

The contract keeps a clause that requires new hires to take10 years before reaching the same pay as senior employees. The deal alsomakes changes to the pension plan. Those issues have some members up in arms.

"My vote is going to be a big, fat, 'No.' It's not about me anymore. It's about the next generation coming in." said Randy Desjardins, a fourth-generation Chrysler worker. "Same wages for the same work with the same benefits, same pension."

Desjardins wants to see new hires get to the top of the pay grid faster than the current 10-year period and retain thedefined-benefit pension plan.

Lewenza said he appreciates those concerns, but says the union couldn't get everything it wanted in bargaining.

"I never left bargaining feeling 100 per cent satisfied. It's not that things are missed, it's that things are not attainable in this collective agreement," Lewenza said.

"We have thousands of demands, and the employer has the right to say,'No,'" he said. "A good bargainer leaves the table not feeling 100 per cent good about themselves because you have to close the book somewhere."