For Immediate Release
Cambridge, On – Members of IAMAW Local Lodge 2330 have ratified a new three-year collective agreement with Dana Corporation, Thermal Products Division.
Dana Corporation has just emerged from Chapter 11 in the United States and has been imposing many concessions during bargaining throughout the corporation. It came to the table looking for much of the same from the workers at the Cambridge facility. “The bargaining committee led by IAMAW Local Lodge President Kim Valliere is to be commended for averting most of those concessions, “ said IAMAW Grand Lodge Representative Colin Cherry. “We did settle for a wage freeze in the first year to keep the plant off the radar screen from the rest of the corporation who had suffered the same fate or even worse,” added Cherry.
The agreement provides front-end loading of increased contributions to the IAM Labour-Management Pension plan of 4.2 per cent in the first year and 4 per cent in the second year. It also provides for wage increases of 2 per cent in both the second and third years along with improved contract language.
Cherry called the bargaining extremely tough given the current state of the automotive sector in Ontario. “The membership overwhelmingly supported their committee during these negotiations,” explained Cherry. “During negotiations the membership refused overtime and wore black every Thursday to send a clear message to the company that even though manufacturing in the province may be in a downturn, they were not willing to allow their contract to be decimated.”
The 143 members manufacture thermal parts for the automotive sector.
IAMAW, among the largest industrial trade unions in North America, represents more than 700,000 active and retired members, and administers more than 5,000 contracts in transportation, woodworking, aerospace, manufacturing and defense related industries.
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For further information:
Colin Cherry – IAMAW District 78 Grand Lodge Representative
416-225=9003/416-579-0553
Bill Trbovich – IAMAW Director of Communications
416-386-1789 ext 6331/416-735-9765