TORONTO - Canadian Auto Workers members at three General Motors locations in Ontario ratified a new collective agreement on Friday.

The union said Local 1973 in Windsor voted 97 per cent in favour, Local 199 in St. Catharines voted 86 per cent in favour and Local 222 in Oshawa voted 80 per cent in favour.

Local 636 at GM's warehouse in Woodstock was to hold a ratification meeting Saturday.

The CAW has reached a series of deals with the Big Three North American automakers that will see workers for GM (NYSE:GM), Chrysler and Ford (NYSE:F) have their pay frozen.

However, they will get improvements in other areas and many will keep their jobs as plants that were slated to be shut down get at least a temporary reprieve and some facilities begin producing new vehicles and parts.

Under the GM agreement reached earlier this week, the shutdown of a second shift at the company's Oshawa truck assembly plant will be put off from this September until 2009.

Earlier this month GM had said would cut 900 jobs because of falling demand due to soaring fuel prices.

That was after a slowdown at the plant in January, when GM announced it would cut a first shift and 1,000 jobs.

However, a GM transmission plant in Windsor, Ont., will close by mid-2010 as announced on Monday, in a move that will affect 1,400 people.

The GM deal also includes:

-Cost-of living improvements in the second and third years of the contract.

-A cap on long-term care benefits.

-A 10 per cent co-pay plan for drugs to a maximum of $250 a year in the first year, increasing in the second and third years.

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