Employees at ZF-TRW line up to cast ballots on a tentative contract offer at the Serbian Centre in Windsor, March 11, 2018. Photo courtesy of Unifor Local 444/Facebook.Employees at ZF-TRW line up to cast ballots on a tentative contract offer at the Serbian Centre in Windsor, March 11, 2018. Photo courtesy of Unifor Local 444/Facebook.
Windsor

UPDATE: Fourth Windsor Supplier Ratifies Deal

The union representing workers at a Windsor auto parts supplier says a deal has been accepted.

Unifor Local 444, which represents employees at ZF-TRW, confirmed via Facebook that they have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement.

The agreement was accepted by 87% of those participating in voting Sunday morning at the Serbian Centre in Windsor.

Union members at the company, which makes transmission systems, units and components, along with chassis systems and other automotive parts; walked off the job Thursday night after a previous proposal was rejected by the employees. Early Sunday morning, the union tweeted that a new tentative deal had been reached.

ZF-TRW was one of four auto parts suppliers in Windsor whose previous contracts expired last weekend. A deal was reached with one, Avencez, before the strike deadline. Employees at the remaining two suppliers, HBPO Canada and Dakkota, briefly hit the picket lines before accepting new deals.

The deal with Avencez was set as a pattern agreement for the remaining three plants. Reported financial terms include an 11% wage increase over the course of the three years of the contract, beginning with an immediate 75-cent/hr raise. This is followed by a 25-cent/hr raise every six months after for total increase of $2/hr.

Specifically for ZF-TRW, key points of the deal include the hiring of 15 new employees to address understaffing issues. There are also adjustments to shift-change notices and options for employee overtime and vacation.

The labour dispute disrupted production at Chrysler's Windsor Assembly Plant throughout the weekend.

Production at the plant was expected to resume with the third shift late Sunday night.

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