New Agreement Overwhelmingly Ratified at General Electric Facilities in Ontario

TORONTO, Feb. 19, 2013 /CNW/ - CAW members who work at General Electric facilities in Peterborough, Toronto, Arnprior and Burlington/Stoney Creek, Ontario have overwhelmingly approved a new three-year collective agreement that includes wage, benefit and pension improvements.

The 750 workers are members of CAW Locals 524, 252 and 2228. Approximately 600 of the total work at the large motors facility in Peterborough, while the remainder work at G.E. Hitachi Nuclear facilities in Toronto, Peterborough and Arnprior and at service facilities in Burlington and Stoney Creek, Ontario.

Overall, workers approved the agreement by 97 per cent in voting Sunday, February 17.

"We won significant investment to turn Peterborough's 100 year-old facilities into facilities that will now reflect the technology of 2013," said Jerry Dias, assistant to the CAW president. "Winning this commitment was the most significant feature of a strong new agreement with G.E.," Dias said.

Wage increases, including cost of living allowance, are two per cent in the first year, 2.5 per cent in the second and three per cent in the final year. In addition, there were significant pension gains.

A major pension gain is the extension of supplemental pension payments to ensure bridge pensions continue until retiring workers qualify for the delayed Old Age Security pension announced by the Harper Conservatives.

In addition gains were made in a new vision care plan along with improvements in dental and other programs.

SOURCE: Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW)