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Unifor Local 27 members at General Dynamics Land Systems Canada in London, Ontario voted 97% in favour of ratifying a new three-year contract.
"I want to extend my deepest thanks to the members of Unifor Local 27 and their dedicated bargaining team for their hard work and solidarity throughout these negotiations,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Our members voted overwhelmingly for a strong agreement that makes key financial gains and improvements to their working conditions that reflect the highly skilled work they do every day.”
Nearly 500 production and Skilled Trades members at the London plant build military equipment including light and medium armoured combat support vehicles. The plant has a long history in the London area, having been the former headquarters of General Motors’ Defense unit before it was sold to General Dynamics Land Systems in 2003.
The newly ratified contract provides members with a $1,000 ratification bonus and an immediate wage increase of 3%, a 2.75% lump sum payment the following year, as well as an additional 3% wage increase in the final year of the agreement. The agreement also reduces the current wage grid by one year and will also provide members with three additional special payments of $1,200 in July of each year of the agreement. By the end of the contract workers at the lowest wage rate of $43.95 per hour will earn $50.97 per hour and the highest wage rate will increase from $52.94 per hour to $62.08 per hour. The Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) float of $4.20 has also been rolled into the full wage rate for all job classifications for hours worked on or after March 17, 2025. The COLA float will then reset to $0.05 and continue with its existing growth formula.
“At General Dynamics London, we have one of the most skilled workforces in Canada and it’s our job to ensure the company acknowledges and appreciates this fact through the collective bargaining process. I believe we have achieved our goals and have accepted a good contract that was ratified at 97% from production members and 96% in Skilled Trades,” said Jeff Skinner, Unifor Local 27 Plant Chair at the facility. “I would like to thank my bargaining committee members Eric Bulgin, Robyn Claessens, Jamie Skinner, Howard Smith and Matt Srnicek for all their hard work and thank our membership of almost 500 for giving us such strong support. On behalf of our entire membership at Local 27, we would like to thank Lana Payne, Luis Domingues, Brian Chapman and Jerry Skinner for all their support—this was a job well done by all. Solidarity.”
The agreement also provides increases to members’ Defined Benefit Pension Plan of $1.00 for production members and $1.20 for Skilled Trades in years 1 and 3 of the contract respectively. Defined Contribution Pension Plan members will receive an RRSP contribution of $1,750 in years 1 and 3 of the contract.
The contract also improves workers’ health and dental benefits including $500 for custom orthotics with the elimination of the employer’s preferred service provider purchasing requirement, an enhancement to eligibility for dependent tuition from calendar to academic year with an annual maximum of $1,500 per child, an increase in eye exam coverage from $85 to $120 every 24 months, an increase in the maximum allowance for glucose monitoring systems to $1,200, an increase in the mental health bundle coverage from $700 to $1,000 per calendar year, and an increase in dental coverage from $3,000 to $3,200 excluding orthodontics.
The agreement also reduces new hire eligibility for health and dental coverage to the first day of the fourth month following the date of hire and the safety shoe allowance will increase by $25 to a maximum of $275 per worker per year while also providing for an additional paid holiday on Friday January 2, 2026.
The newly ratified contract expires March 19, 2028.
