TORONTO, Aug 14 (Reuters) – The Canadian Auto Workers opened
contract talks with the first of the Big Three automakers on
Tuesday, with the company looking to cut labor costs it says are
the highest in the world.
The CAW’s bargaining committee met with representatives of
General Motors Corp on Tuesday morning at a hotel in
downtown Toronto. Meetings were scheduled with Fiat SpA’s
Chrysler later on Tuesday, and Ford Motor Corp on
Wednesday.
Participants expect negotiations on a new three-year
contract to be tough.
With the automakers seeking lower costs, the union argues
that its members sacrificed to keep the companies afloat during
the financial crisis, and should be rewarded now that the
automakers have turned profitable.
“We expect the company to reward our members and to allow
our members to share in their success,” Chris Buckley, chair of
the CAW’s GM master bargaining committee, told reporters before
meeting with the company.
“All three car companies are doing a lot better than they
were four years ago.”
GM said in June it planned to close one of its two lines in
Oshawa, Ontario, by June 2013. The line employs about 2,000
workers.
Asked whether any jobs on that line are still on the table,
GM Labor Director David Wenner said: “We’ll have open dialogue
to have constructive conversations with our labor partners so
that we can reach a collective agreement that is best for both
parties.”
