180 full and part time workers with Gates Canada Windsor have ratified a new three year contract.
The workers, represented by Unifor Local 195, were set to walk off the job last Wednesday before a tentative agreement was reached moments before the 12:01 a.m. deadline.
Local 195 President Emile Nabbout says 73 per cent of his members voted in favour of the deal.
"Every time we make progress for the working class people, our community will get the benefit as well because the more dollar you make, the more dollar you can spend."
He says his members gained a signing bonus of $3,000, more vacation, better benefits and the recognition of Remembrance Day as a holiday.
"This deal basically has every single classification $2.75 front-loaded to all classification. That's a significant gain because people need to catch up with inflation, and all other classification in years two get a 3.5 per cent [increase] and year three 3.25 per cent."
Nabbout says a special adjustment was also made for skilled trade workers.
"Skilled trade is challenging for many employers in the city of Windsor to find people to perform the work, so we we're able to make a special adjustment to the skilled trade on the wage up front."
Gates Canada Windsor is located on St Etienne Blvd.
The workers at the plant do pulleys for the automotive sector and for John Deere.
