Photo: General Motors
Today is not the best day for Unifor, the union which represents thousands of hourly workers at the Oshawa plant in Ontario, Canada. An announcement will be made by General Motors in a matter of hours, but every report on the subject talks about the worst-case scenario.
CBC.ca claims that “sources inside the government” have confirmed the closure of the plant, translating to thousands of jobs lost in the process. General Motors is going through a global restructuring plan, but closing down a site which has been churning out automobiles since 1953 doesn’t sound alright.
No less than 2,522 people work there on behalf of Unifor Local 222, which is ten percent of the 23,000 people employed in 1980s. The plant now produces the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac XTS, two models which aren’t selling well with retail customers.
The union representing the workers hasn’t heard “complete details of the overall announcement,” but were told no products had been allocated to Oshawa past December 2019. In other words, that’s when the manufacturing site located 45 minutes away from Toronto will shut down.
"Based on commitments made during 2016 contract negotiations, Unifor does not accept this announcement and is immediately calling on GM to live up to the spirit of that agreement," the union announced in a statement. Even though Unifor plans to hold talks with General Motors before the automaker drops the bombshell, the looming closure will be catastrophic for both the employees and third-party suppliers in the region.
Even local businesses such as retailers and restaurants would feel the effects of the closure, producing a ripple throughout the community. Looking at the bigger picture, General Motors also appears to have forgotten about the several billion dollars loaned by the Canadian and Ontario governments as part of the 2009 bailout.
Sources close to the automaker claim the Oshawa plant has to go because General Motors is moving at full speed ahead towards lower-emission vehicles. Even plants in the United States are expected to shut down, although other operations in Ontario appear to be safe from such a scenario for the time being.
No less than 2,522 people work there on behalf of Unifor Local 222, which is ten percent of the 23,000 people employed in 1980s. The plant now produces the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac XTS, two models which aren’t selling well with retail customers.
The union representing the workers hasn’t heard “complete details of the overall announcement,” but were told no products had been allocated to Oshawa past December 2019. In other words, that’s when the manufacturing site located 45 minutes away from Toronto will shut down.
"Based on commitments made during 2016 contract negotiations, Unifor does not accept this announcement and is immediately calling on GM to live up to the spirit of that agreement," the union announced in a statement. Even though Unifor plans to hold talks with General Motors before the automaker drops the bombshell, the looming closure will be catastrophic for both the employees and third-party suppliers in the region.
Even local businesses such as retailers and restaurants would feel the effects of the closure, producing a ripple throughout the community. Looking at the bigger picture, General Motors also appears to have forgotten about the several billion dollars loaned by the Canadian and Ontario governments as part of the 2009 bailout.
Sources close to the automaker claim the Oshawa plant has to go because General Motors is moving at full speed ahead towards lower-emission vehicles. Even plants in the United States are expected to shut down, although other operations in Ontario appear to be safe from such a scenario for the time being.
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