CAW Announces Ratification of New Contract with GM by 88.7% Majority

10/28/96

CAW Membership at General Motors Vote Overwhelmingly in Favor of New
Agreement


TORONTO, Oct. 23 -- Canadian Auto Workers today issued
the following statement:

CAW members who work at General Motors have voted 88.7 per
cent in favor of ending their historic three-week strike against the
giant automaker.

"The membership support this agreement because of the gains made for
working people, their families and communities," CAW president Buzz
Hargrove said. "It also helps send a signal that working people are
fed up with insecurity, job cuts and rollbacks and that they are
determined to stand together to fight back and build hope for the
future."

"This agreement sets a new standard for corporate conduct in regard to
workers who have helped the company become profitable. It says a
profitable company can no longer sell good jobs to the lowest bidder
simply to make more profits," Hargrove said.

CAW members in Oshawa, St. Catharines, Windsor, London, Woodstock and
Ste. Therese, Quebec turned out in huge numbers to vote in favor of
the new three- year contract with General Motors.

Production workers voted 89 per cent in favor of the new contract,
while skilled trades workers voted 87.8 per cent.  Total number of
eligible voters who cast ballots was 14,621.

In Oshawa, members of Local 222 jammed into the Civic Arena earlier
today and roared their support as Hargrove and members of the local
bargaining committee entered. It was standing room only in Oshawa as a
total of more than 6,400 production and skilled trades workers shouted
their support, waved flags and asked questions about details of the
contract.

The enthusiasm built during the strike and from the occupation of the
Oshawa Fabrication plant was in evidence from start to finish of the
Oshawa meeting as the membership gave four standing ovations.

The Oshawa GM membership roared its approval today when local
negotiators announced the end of the mandatory overtime agreement,
which means the company can no longer simply tap Oshawa workers on the
shoulder and tell them to work overtime. Now the company must ask.

The new agreement contains gains in wages, cost-of-living, income
security, benefits, improved retirement incentives, reduced worktime,
and limits on GM's ability to outsource work.

The contract includes:

-- limits on outsourcing that mean the reversal of almost 800 jobs GM
had announced would be cut in Oshawa, Ste.-Therese and London;

-- protection for the St. Catharines axle plant, which has again been
maintained and kept under the CAW/GM master agreement. The axle plant
employs approximately 600;

-- an increase in SPA (paid time off the job), which will mean about
400 new job openings in the GM chain;

-- limits on major outsourcing, the requirement to match future
outsourcing of minor jobs with other work, and a lid on the sale or
closure of operations over the life of the agreement;

In Oshawa workers in the Fab plant get the same protection in
benefits, pension, insurance or income security commitments as GM
workers, through to 2005.  As well, they can exercise seniority
rights, if laid off, for work in the Oshawa assembly complex.

Workers in the Windsor Trim plant also get the same benefit, pension,
insurance or income security commitments to 2005 as GM workers. Trim
plant workers can exercise seniority rights to other GM plants if they
face lay off by the Trim plant's new owner.

The new agreement provides a strong economic package including a two
per cent wage increase each year plus cost of living allowance, which
is expected to add up to an increase of more than 1O per cent over the
life of the new contract. Skilled trades workers get an extra 20 cents
per hour starting in the first year. All workers get special strike
settlement pay of $350.

The benefit package has been significantly enhanced with gains in
vision care, dental, and the drug plan among others. A major
breakthrough has been made in the area of family related leave with
new maternity, adoption and parental leave benefits starting in April
1997 that will be provided through a combination of employment
insurance and new top up funding. Same sex spousal benefits have been
achieved.

All worker rights and company responsibilities under current
Occupational Health and Safety Act are preserved as minimum standards,
including the right to refuse unsafe work. No matter what changes the
Harris government makes to health and safety laws a workers current
rights are maintained.

Maintaining the pattern gives GM workers stricter protection from the
hazards of metalworking fluids.

Protection is provided against government rollbacks of employment
standards such as maximum hours of work, severance and termination
rights. These important safeguards ensure, for example, that GM can't
extend the mandatory work week from eight hours a day and 48 hours in
a week to 10 hours a day and 56 hours a week as it had previously
lobbied the Harris government in Ontario.