(Reuters) - Canadian labor union Unifor extended its deadline for contract negotiations with General Motors on Tuesday, averting a strike at the plant in Ingersoll, Ontario that makes electric vehicles and batteries.

The deadline for reaching a deal was on Tuesday and the Unifor Local 88 had previously said that 97% of its more-than-1,300 members were in favour of stopping work at the CAMI plant if a deal was not reached.

The union did not give a new deadline and declined to share further information than what it said in its statement.

"Our bargaining committee continues to make progress at the bargaining table and talks will continue so long as that remains the case," Unifor National President Lana Payne said in the statement.

GM, which makes the BrightDrop commercial vans and Ultium battery modules at the plant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Unifor and GM started contract negotiations last week.