GM seeking injunction to end Oshawa blockade

[doh]

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/440843

General Motors of Canada has gone to court to end a high profile blockade of its headquarters in Oshawa and collect $1.5 million in alleged damages from a union local and five members.

The automaker said in a notice of action yesterday in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice that it wants an injunction against Canadian Auto Workers Local 222 and its members to stop them from blocking company employees and vehicles entering and exiting the headquarters in east Oshawa.

GM is also seeking $250,000 from the local and the same amount from each of five members, including president Chris Buckley for allegedly unlawfully blocking and delaying staff and vehicles.

The move comes after the company and union could not resolve the dispute over the blockade, now in its eighth day.

The local set up the blockade on Colonel Sam Drive on June 4, a day after GM shocked the auto industry by announcing it would close the nearby truck assembly plant in the second half of next year.

GM said market demand for pickups and sport utility vehicles had plunged in recent months because soaring gasoline prices were driving consumers to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.

The Oshawa plant is the second most productive operation among GM's five truck factories on the continent. It has won several awards for productivity and quality in the last decade.

GM is also closing two other assembly plants in the U.S. and an operation in Mexico.

The union said GM breached its contract signed less than a month ago by not honouring commitments for truck production at the plant for several years.

Workers would never have accepted a wage freeze if GM hadn't assured them of future production, according to union negotiators.

GM countered that the production commitments depend on market demand, but the union said sales were already declining during bargaining and didn't change in recent weeks.

Buckley told cheering protestors at the headquarters last week that the union would not remove the blockade until GM reverses the shutdown decision, which would eliminate more than 2,000 jobs.

[K Dawg ONE]

Whats not reported is how workers surrounded GM dealers in Toronto suburbs (Oshawa, Ajax, Whitby, and Pickering) this week and would not allow dealership employees or customers to cross the picket lines to actually buy some GM vehicles resulting in the dealerships actually shutting down this week.
Being in the Automotive Caiptal of Canada (Windsor) and being home to the plant that makes the best transmissions in the world, we have rec'vd inside information that members from Local 222 are planning a trip from Toronto on Thursday to come block the workers and products from entering/leaving the GM Transmission plant. Workers have rec'vd letters indicating that if the blockade is to happen, that workers are to not cross the line and simply go home for the day until they hear otherwise.
On that same note, we have been told here at our dealership that since we are the largest GM dealer in the Rose City, that we will likely be blocked from our jobs on Thursday as well...

[TJ95GAGT]

Why can't they just be arrested, give the police something to do?

[toddmarley]

Originally Posted by K Dawg ONE

Whats not reported is how workers surrounded GM dealers in Toronto suburbs (Oshawa, Ajax, Whitby, and Pickering) this week and would not allow dealership employees or customers to cross the picket lines to actually buy some GM vehicles resulting in the dealerships actually shutting down this week.
Being in the Automotive Caiptal of Canada (Windsor) and being home to the plant that makes the best transmissions in the world, we have rec'vd inside information that members from Local 222 are planning a trip from Toronto on Thursday to come block the workers and products from entering/leaving the GM Transmission plant. Workers have rec'vd letters indicating that if the blockade is to happen, that workers are to not cross the line and simply go home for the day until they hear otherwise.
On that same note, we have been told here at our dealership that since we are the largest GM dealer in the Rose City, that we will likely be blocked from our jobs on Thursday as well...

CAW Local 222 members have never blocked any dealerships employees or customers from entering. This is false. Here in Oshawa Roy Nichols Pontiac/GMC is being picketed because Its members are on strike with the dealership and the dealership has decided to close its doors rather then deal with the Union. It has nothing to do with what is happening with the CAW and GM itself.

Stop spreading false information. The CAW has never done anything like this and would NOT endorse such action by its members of the GM Units.

Get a life.

[Clownzilla]

Originally Posted by toddmarley

CAW Local 222 members have never blocked any dealerships employees or customers from entering. This is false. Here in Oshawa Roy Nichols Pontiac/GMC is being picketed because Its members are on strike with the dealership and the dealership has decided to close its doors rather then deal with the Union. It has nothing to do with what is happening with the CAW and GM itself.

Stop spreading false information. The CAW has never done anything like this and would NOT endorse such action by its members of the GM Units.

Get a life.

Yes, I believe YOU Mr. union slug..........

[windvale]

Originally Posted by Clownzilla

Yes, I believe YOU Mr. union slug..........

I think I just pissed my pants laughing...

[kissmyss]

Its amazing how much false information is out there, and how rumours just take off... The union has done a wonderful job off getting their point across and still maintaining dignity and respect.. and that number 250,000 is now 1.5 million that GM wants the union to pay them back for the lost hours of production at both plants i do believe..

This is the same union that welded doors shut at a plant (years ago) to keep it from having machines being shipped out and the plant closed. GM is well aware I hope of what this union is capable off when backed into a wall.. Biggest local in Canada maybe even north america 22,000 i believe.

Solidarity

[ByTheLake]

Regardless of what side your on, this is not pretty.

Having the courts mediate this dispute isn't the best way to achieve harmony, so let's hope this doesn't carry on too much longer.

[NfamousZ24]

Originally Posted by kissmyss

Its amazing how much false information is out there, and how rumours just take off... The union has done a wonderful job off getting their point across and still maintaining dignity and respect.. and that number 250,000 is now 1.5 million that GM wants the union to pay them back for the lost hours of production at both plants i do believe..

This is the same union that welded doors shut at a plant (years ago) to keep it from having machines being shipped out and the plant closed. GM is well aware I hope of what this union is capable off when backed into a wall.. Biggest local in Canada maybe even north america 22,000 i believe.

Solidarity

Wow welded the door to the plant. lol

I mean I know of the millwrights going out to the parking lot and welding the doors shut on a brand new shiney Tacoma. But to actually weld the doors shut inside that plant.....Wow

[Tony_the_Tiger]

Originally Posted by Clownzilla
Yes, I believe YOU Mr. union slug..........
__________________
Current Ride: 2006 SAAB 9-5 proudly NOT made by the UAW-CAW
SAAB car sticker

YO, Clownzilla; That Saab might have been built by members of the "TAW"... { Troll Auto Workers **

[justinn]

actually it is Cliff Mills Pontiac that is on strike....this has nothing to do with the Gm/CAW conflict. They are striking for themselves and the dealer lot is empty, their strike has been going on well before the plant closure announcement.

[Rocket 88]

Originally Posted by ByTheLake

Regardless of what side your on, this is not pretty.

Having the courts mediate this dispute isn't the best way to achieve harmony, so let's hope this doesn't carry on too much longer.

Nice to see someone is thinking about the bigger picture istead of having a useless Pro-Union vs. Anti-Union debate.

This is not a good situation for either the CAW or GM.

GM did make a commitment to keep the plant open, and was given concessions by CAW workers to do so. From a legal standpoint I can't see how they are in the right. But I do feel for GM for being held hostage to produce a product with declining demand.

I can't help but think GM should be able to find a productive solution to this problem. Maybe close a truck factory they did not contractually agree to keep open or get Oshawa new products. They are recoginized as one of the best GM plants.

[Whitesky]

Originally Posted by TJ95GAGT

Why can't they just be arrested, give the police something to do?

Exactly. It's completely rediculous that they are allowed to do this in the first place. They should have all been put in jail the first day.

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by kissmyss

Its amazing how much false information is out there, and how rumours just take off... The union has done a wonderful job off getting their point across and still maintaining dignity and respect.. and that number 250,000 is now 1.5 million that GM wants the union to pay them back for the lost hours of production at both plants i do believe..

This is the same union that welded doors shut at a plant (years ago) to keep it from having machines being shipped out and the plant closed. GM is well aware I hope of what this union is capable off when backed into a wall.. Biggest local in Canada maybe even north america 22,000 i believe.

Solidarity

Hmmmm....

[RSW]

As if we ever had any doubts that unions are unconcerned with the health of the company...

They also don't seem concerned with reality. Let's keep making huge trucks as gas goes to $12/gallon.

With the building industries contracting, my own job in the field isn't particularly secure. I think if my boss dares to terminate me (on the basis of no work), I will barricade him in and prevent clients from entering the building.