On Sunday, 400 members of the Canadian Auto Workers’ Local 222 at Lear Corporation in Whitby, Ont., walked off the job after contract talks between the auto seat manufacturer and the union broke down. As a result, vehicle production on the consolidated line at General Motors’ Oshawa facility, was temporarily halted, since supplies of seats required for Buick Regal, Chevrolet Camaro and Impala models were disrupted. However, yesterday, the union said that the two parties had reached a tentative agreement, with details set to be revealed this coming weekend following ratification.
However another supplier strike, at the Wescast facility in Strathroy, Ont. which also supplies General Motors (in this case engine and exhaust related components) remained unresolved as of Wednesday morning. Workers at Wescast walked off the job after the company announced that GM was sending manufacturing to China. A total of 65 workers at the Strathroy facility are on the picket lines, though Wescast, which supplies parts to small block V8 engines built at St. Catherines and other plants in the U.S. has said it wants to avoid any supply disruptions.
