(Reuters) – General Motors Co and union Unifor said on Friday they had reached a preliminary agreement for the carmaker to invest nearly C $ 1 billion ($ 785.42 million) in its CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, to commercial to manufacture electric pickups.
Under the preliminary agreement, which has yet to be ratified by union workers, GM has agreed to start large-scale commercial production of EV600, an electric van, at its CAMI plant, Unifor said in a statement.
The Detroit automaker said in a separate statement that work would begin immediately at the plant.
The new deal builds on recent investments by GM in Canada, which agreed in November to invest C $ 1 billion in its Oshawa plant to expand production of its full-size pickups.
The Canadian government welcomed the agreement and said it would reaffirm its support once the union members ratify the agreement.
“We are awaiting the outcome of the ratification vote,” Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in a statement.
Unifor, the union representing hourly workers in Canada, said more details about the deal would be presented to local union members at an online ratification meeting scheduled for January 17, the results of which will be announced a day later. .
($ 1 = $ 1.2732)
Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru with additional reporting by Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Edited by Simon Cameron-Moore