UAW members overwhelmingly vote two-to-one to ratify contract with GM

(WXYZ) - A two-to-one majority of the UAW members voted Wednesday to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with General Motors.

The vote was 65% and 63% in favor among production and skilled trade workers respectively.

A tentative agreement between UAW and GM was reached on September 16. GM was the first of the Big Three to come to this agreement.

"The UAW and GM entered into this set of bargaining as America struggles with record levels of unemployment and an economy that shows little sign of improvement," said UAW President Bob King.

"With the continued support and solidarity of our members at GM, we stood strong and not only stopped these proposed givebacks, but we made important gains for our members in this contract," King added.

The contract will create 6,400 new jobs in the U.S. including UAW member who have been laid off over the last several years. It will also bring jobs back to the U.S. that have been moved to Mexico and other parts of the world.

As a result of the 6,400 new jobs, suppliers and other businesses related to the auto industry will see another 57,600 new jobs.

GM’s entry-level workers will see their pay increase to $19.28 over the term of the agreement and all employees will receive a $5,000 signing bonus.

"When it seems like everyone in America is getting cuts in benefits and paying higher co-pays and deductibles, we were able to maintain and improve on our current benefits," said UAW Vice President Joe Ashton.

The new four-year contract is effective immediately and covers more than 48,000 active workers at GM.