Unifor workers have kicked off strike action at General Motors.
In a message on the union's website, Unifor National President, Lana Payne says the company's unwillingness to agree on the union's pattern-bargaining demands on a number of fronts, including pensions and making sure temporary part-time workers are given a clear path to permanent employment.
The strike includes almost 43-hundred autoworkers from Locals 222, 199 and 636.
That number is spread across three separate facilities -- the Oshawa Assembly Complex and CCA Stamped Products, the St. Catharines Powertrain Plant and the Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre.
Unifor Local 88 members at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario are covered by a separate collective agreement and will continue operations.
General Motors issued an early morning statement via social media, saying ``While we have made very positive progress on several key priorities,'' ``we are disappointed that we were not able to achieve a new collective agreement.''
The statement also notes G-M's willingness to stay at the bargaining table.