Unifor is upping the ante in its effort to save the General Motors Oshawa assembly plant by launching a boycott of Mexican-made GM vehicles. The union is asking Canadians to “take a stand in defence of our jobs” in defiance of GM.
The move is part of the union’s most recent tactic to put pressure on GM to reconsider its plans. It’s also making Canadians aware of the fact that the carmaker is expanding production in Mexico while shutting down factories in both Canada and the U.S.
“GM is arrogant enough to think it can rob Canada of jobs without repercussions,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “GM is making a choice to increase manufacturing in Mexico while it abandons communities that have supported it for generations, but make no mistake Canadian and American consumers also have a choice.”
Unifor argues that Canada spent billions of dollars bailing the company out of bankruptcy in 2008 while Mexico did not spend a dime — and yet, in 2014 GM announced plans to spend $US 5 billion to double production in the country.
From that period onward, the union said the plant closure will lead to an annual production cut of 418,000 GM vehicles (67 per cent) in Canada by 2020. Annual production in Mexico however will have increased by 304,000 vehicles (47 per cent).
“GM is doubling down on the exploitation of Mexican workers before CUSMA comes into effect,” said Dias. “Oshawa Assembly is a high-performing, viable plant that Greedy Motors is walking away from solely to inflate profits by paying Mexican workers poverty wages.”
Warren Thomas, the president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), has also joined Unifor in calling for a boycott.
Although GM has not backed down on its plans to close the Oshawa plant, it still has manufacturing operations in Ingersoll and St. Catharines, Ont. The carmaker will also invest in helping to re-train employees for auto industry jobs that include working at GM dealerships.
