Sept 9 (Reuters) - General Motors ( GM ) and Unifor have

begun collective bargaining for workers at the automaker's CAMI

Assembly plant in Ontario, the Canadian labour union said on

Monday.

A strike mandate showed 97% of Unifor Local 88 members are

in favour of a strike if an agreement is not reached by 10:59

p.m. on Sept. 17, the union said.

"Our focus remains on obtaining a contract that gives our

members a good, predictable income," Unifor CAMI Plant

Chairperson Mike Van Boekel said.

Unifor Local 88 represents more than 1,300 members at the

CAMI Assembly plant who work on the manufacture of Ultium

battery modules and electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet

BrightDrop EV 600.

"GM is committed to working with our Unifor partners to

reach a mutually beneficial agreement," the carmaker said in a

statement to Reuters.