[doh]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080603/GM_block_080604/20080604?hub=TopStories

Several hundred General Motors employees have formed a roadblock in front of the company's Canadian head office in Oshawa, Ont. to protest the closure of a truck assembly plant.

Chris Buckley, president of the Canadian Auto Workers union Local 222, said Wednesday that the blockade will be in place for "as long as it takes."

The workers are protesting after GM announced Tuesday that it will be closing its truck plant in Oshawa by the end of next year.

Production at the Oshawa plant and three other North American factories will be shut down next year in response to "a clear shift from trucks and SUVs toward cars and crossovers" among North American buyers, said the company.

All of the plants slated for closure assemble pick-up trucks or sport utility vehicles.

GM said Tuesday that the closure will eliminate 1,000 jobs but union leaders said there are 2,600 people who will be out of work at the plant.

"We are demanding that General Motors reverse their decision to close their best truck plant in the corporation," Buckley told CTV's Canada AM on Wednesday.

"At the very least, we're demanding that the General Motors executives sit down with us so that we can attempt to work through this."

Buckley said the union just finished bargaining a new three-year collective agreement, which was ratified two weeks ago.

"General Motors committed to us in writing that we would get the next generation of light-duty pick up trucks," said Buckley.

"As of yesterday, General Motors has betrayed us and that is bad-faith bargaining."

Still, Buckley said workers will be on the job Wednesday.

 

[K-1]

Your product isn't in great demand anymore. WTF do you want them to do, keep producing unsellable trucks just for the hell of it? Keep up your protest, you'll get little sympathy from anyone outside your little circle.

 

[Chet]

Your product isn't in great demand anymore. WTF do you want them to do, keep producing unsellable trucks just for the hell of it? Keep up your protest, you'll get little sympathy from anyone outside your little circle.

You are absolutely correct.... except why did GM, just weeks ago, promise to keep the plant open and talk about being the lead plant for the next gen trucks?

We have two options here:
a) GM lied to the CAW... which is going to cause a lot of problems. I'd like to see what is exactly written in the contract regarding this.
b) GM just made this decision in the last week or so... if this is the case, then GM has no hope.

One this is for sure though - this is gonna get UGLY!

 

[K-1]

You are absolutely correct.... except why did GM, just weeks ago, promise to keep the plant open and talk about being the lead plant for the next gen trucks?

We have two options here:
a) GM lied to the CAW... which is going to cause a lot of problems. I'd like to see what is exactly written in the contract regarding this.
b) GM just made this decision in the last week or so... if this is the case, then GM has no hope.

One this is for sure though - this is gonna get UGLY!

If GM knew they were going to close the plant anyway, why even bother with the contract? They would have just said, no contract, you guys are toast.

I think they're just reacting to the direction of the market. They don't need 6 plants producing GMT-900s anymore and GM isn't (or at least shouldn't be) in the welfare business.

 

[frenstall]

Being Canadian I'm pretty biased on this but it does seem wrong that Oshawa has won quality and productivity awards year after year and yet they are chosen to be shut down. From a quality/productivity standpoint they should be the last truck plant to go.

 

[mpsrent]

There is a question of integrity.

The Oshawa plant is recognized for their quality and efficiency. The employees take great pride in what they do. GM successfully lobbied the province of Ontario for subsidies. GM signed an agreement with the CAW just weeks ago.

The media has jumped on the fact that its hard to believe that GM management did not know when they signed the CAW agreement that in two weeks they would be announcing the plant closure. GM is getting horrible media coverage over this decision and the general public are gaining an anti-GM mentality. Next to your home, the second largest purchase you will make is typically a vehicle. How much confidence can the public have in a manufacturer that constantly reports layoffs, plant closures, declining sales and that lies to their workers and the public.

I'm a loyal GM customer that has purchased more GM vehicles than I can recall yet even I have doubts in the future of this company. I can certainly appreciate why the Oshawa workers are so upset.

 

[DMD]

I would pick up my things and move to China to make cars if I were in charge of GM. China has as good if not better work ethic than any union workers have here in North America. China has much much lower wages and they have an appreciation for work and having a job when it is clear for 30+ years that I have seen that UAW and CAW workers don't care at all for the companies they have parasitic relationships with. It is clear unions don't add anything to the companies that have them, look at Nissan, Honda, and Toyota. None of these companies have unions and they are eating the Big 3's lunches every single day of the week.

 

[FenwickHockey65]

I would pick up my things and move to China to make cars if I were in charge of GM. China has as good if not better work ethic than any union workers have here in North America. China has much much lower wages and they have an appreciation for work and having a job when it is clear for 30+ years that I have seen that UAW and CAW workers don't care at all for the companies they have parasitic relationships with. It is clear unions don't add anything to the companies that have them, look at Nissan, Honda, and Toyota. None of these companies have unions and they are eating the Big 3's lunches every single day of the week.

That would make for bad publicity though...and GM would lose a ton of supporters who buy GM just for the sake of it being American.

 

[JackDye]

It is going to take 'awhile' - better pack a lunch.

 

[nsap]

What a mess. I have no doubt it is difficult for them to take the news that they will not be in a job very soon, but come on people...trucks are tanking and MANY GM plants win quality and productivity awards.

 

[Clownzilla]

That would make for bad publicity though...and GM would lose a ton of supporters who buy GM just for the sake of it being American.

It would be bad publicity for a while but would quickly change when us Americans see the quality behind the automobiles. Listen, China CAN and DOES build quality stuff. I tend to support American company's and not the place where their factories are. I would consider GM American even if they did not build a single part in the USA. They keep their American $$$ in the USA, they support their American dealer group, they pay American taxes, they support the American government, etc. I would buy a Chinese made GM before I would buy a UAW-CAW (notice how I didn't say American) GM any day. I believe many people are embracing this mind-set in this world of the massive greed and unappreciative attitude of the UAW-CAW. I just hope GM hurries up and drops this UAW-CAW eliminating ax again in the near future

 

[mgescuro]

"General Motors committed to us in writing that we would get the next generation of light-duty pick up trucks," said Buckley.

Fine. Build the future Colorado/Canyon.

 

[Bvonscott]

I'm pissed about Oshawa closing too. They make the highest quality trucks of GM's GMT900 plants. They should have closed the lowest quality one first.

 

[NfamousZ24]

Fine. Build the future Colorado/Canyon.

No we want it!!

As I said many of times Moraine and Oshawa has many things in common when it comes to Quality and Productivity. I admit that Oshawa edges us out. It is a shame that we get awarded with a "Your plant is going to be Closed". Look on the bright side Oshawa Truck plant, Atleast you get to flow in to the Car plants. We have nothing.....

 

[2003tsport]

Also those workers are just being a bunch of jack---. GM just had 19,000 workers take buy-outs more than they expected, those workers will be laid off for the short term and aquire positions elsewhere in the company but not with the attitudes that are being displayed currently

 

[SUPERBADD75]

well, maybe they'll just force GM to shutter the plant sooner. if they don't want to build trucks, maybe that will help with the overages on dealer lots right now. the U.S. economy is doing some serious adjusting after years of booming, the whole thing is going to get ugly. it sucks, but it's what's happening.

 

[Ambalanche]

Your product isn't in great demand anymore. WTF do you want them to do, keep producing unsellable trucks just for the hell of it? Keep up your protest, you'll get little sympathy from anyone outside your little circle.

As a matter of fact they do! This just goes to show the union doesn't care anything about the company they work for, weather or not they make money or sell anything as long as they have a job.

 

[NfamousZ24]

Did I mention as far as I know Moraine Assembly isn't doing this kinda crap. Win for us I guess.

 

[Ambalanche]

I'm pissed about Oshawa closing too. They make the highest quality trucks of GM's GMT900 plants. They should have closed the lowest quality one first.

It obviously has to do with cost not quality. Besides, GM has many Quality plants and if these kind of protests continue, then look to GM to continue to move plants out of the US and Canada. They ARE closing one in Mexico don't forget!

 

[NfamousZ24]

It obviously has to do with cost not quality. Besides, GM has many Quality plants and if these kind of protests continue, then look to GM to continue to move plants out of the US and Canada. They ARE closing one in Mexico don't forget!

That builds the Kodiac and Topkick, What about the plants that they are building in Mexico. Sialo, Mexico builds GMT900's also. Then again Sialo, Mexico is the only plant that beats Oshawa in Quality and GMS.