GM union workers ratify UAW deal following contentious vote

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has announced that its General Motors (GM) workers have ratified a new labor agreement that will set wages, benefits, and job protections for more than 46,000 union members at the company. The vote to approve the deal came after a contentious two-month long voting process that saw GM workers split almost evenly between those who supported the deal and those who opposed it.

The ratified agreement, which will expire in four years, will give eligible GM workers a 4% wage increase and lump-sum payments, and retains seniority rights and job protections. It also includes new investments from GM that will create or retain more than 8,000 jobs across the company.

The UAW said its members voted to approve the contract by a margin of 51% to 49%, with tens of thousands of GM workers voting in the union’s online and mail-in ballots. The agreement comes after months of negotiations between the UAW and GM that began when the union declared an impasse in September.

UAW president Rory Gamble said in a statement that the ratification of the deal “demonstrates the commitment of UAW-GM workers to securing a contract that maintains good wages and benefits, while providing job security and quality products.”

Gamble added that the agreement “ensures GM stands as a global leader in manufacturing operations” and is “a contract that all UAW-GM members can be proud to have played a role in securing.”