World News – CA – Unifor extends contract negotiations with General Motors after strike deadline

TORONTO – Union representing Canadian workers at General Motors says its bargaining committee has decided to continue contract negotiations with the company after the strike deadline

Unifor had set a deadline of 11:59 am Wednesday to reach a new three-year labor agreement and urged members to prepare for strike action if necessary

But the union said just before the deadline that its main bargaining committee was ready to negotiate overnight to avoid a work stoppage

Any deal proposed after negotiations will have to be approved by GM’s 4,100 union members, who are due to vote on Sunday

The union said on Wednesday afternoon that executives from the Detroit automaker came to Canada this week for in-person talks as negotiations intensified

Unifor National President Jerry Dias is expected to provide more information on negotiations at a 10 am ET press conference

Before the deadline, the union said the company had not offered any concrete commitments on future product plans and was falling short of previous agreements made by Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Unifor, General Motors, Union, Strike, Canada, Bargaining, Jerry Dias