Union rejects GM Canada's first contract offer

TORONTO, Sept 13 Reuters is reporteing that the Canadian Auto Workers union rejected General Motors of Canada Ltd.'s first contract offer on Friday, saying the three-year deal fell far short of the union's expectations.

CAW head Buzz Hargrove slammed the offer calling it "the worst deal" he has seen in his time spent with the powerful union.

"I'm troubled to say this, but this first economic proposal that we have received, coupled with everything else that we were viewing, we see it as a strike proposal, as opposed to an effort to try to reach a settlement with our union," Hargrove told reporters. "It is absolutely impossible to be anything but pessimistic at this late stage of bargaining."