CAW, GM fail to reach deal by deadline

TORONTO, May 16 (UPI) -- A government-imposed deadline has passed for the Canadian Auto Workers union and General Motors Canada to reach a labor contract, officials said.

Both sides of negotiations said more time was needed before an agreement could be hammered out, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Saturday.

"We still have a lot of work to do," CAW President Ken Lewenza said after Friday's deadline was missed. "Bargaining is unpredictable but there has been a lot of effort put in to get the job done."

Lewenza said General Motors continued to demand more than the unionized employees were prepared to give.

"They're being overzealous," he said. "That just cannot happen."

A GM Canada spokesman said there was "lots of hard work going on," CBC reported.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty on Friday said both sides must be prepared to give more so a deal can be reached.

"Our message has been clear throughout this entire period to all stakeholders," Harper said, "and we're not just talking about unions. We're talking about management, we're talking about bondholders and financial institutions."