29 September, 2022
Thunder Bay, ON – IAM Members at Lakehead Motors ratified a new collective agreement late last week and gained a number of improvements to their contract.
“The negotiations were very productive,” said Peter Topetto, Directing Business Representative of IAM Local 1120 in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The agreement includes a salary increase for every year of the contract, as well as improvements in benefits. The local also now has National Truth and Reconciliation Day as a statutory holiday – something most workers in a provincial jurisdiction don’t get.
Further to the improvements, every member of the local is now guaranteed 40 hours of work, which also triggers a monetary bonus any hours produced over 40 hours a week. New training incentives, including being paid when on training courses, were also negotiated.
The most innovative part of the new agreement includes a “living wage” provision. For entry-level classifications. “This doesn’t mean minimum wage,” said Topetto. “This means that they will get paid an hourly wage for what it actually costs to live in Thunder Bay and area. That wage here, is $16.30 an hour.”
The new agreement, ratified by over 75% of the members, takes effect retroactively as of 1 September, 2022.
The 27 members include mechanics, body men, painters, parts personnel, shippers and receivers and general helpers.
The IAM represents workers at seven auto dealerships in Thunder Bay. They are among more than 1,500 members at auto and truck dealerships on Vancouver Island, the lower mainland of British Columbia, Edmonton, Calgary, Fort Frances, Sault Ste. Marie, Markham, Toronto, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador.
For more information:
Peter Topetto
Directing Business Representative, IAM Local 1120
(807) 475-4779
