Canadian Auto Workers President Buzz Hargrove is threatening to strike GM if they go through with plans to close the Oshawa, Ont., pickup truck assembly plant. "Weâre walking away incredibly disappointed,â Hargrove told reporters assembled at GMâs global headquarters in Detroit after a meeting that he said included GMâs Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner, President and Chief Operating Officer Fritz Henderson, North American President Troy Clarke and global head of manufacturing Gary Cowger. âWe werenât able to persuade them to keep Oshawa truck open.â
The CAW is claiming that GM is violating a recent union agreement, which states that the company [GM] intended to allocate next-generation trucks to Oshawa, âdependent upon market demand and in light of the increasingly uncertain North American truck market.â
This is not the first time that Hargrove and the CAW have tried to force GM's hand, as they have long been a thorn in the side of GM management.
Full story here ...
hondacura4 says:
10:19 AM, 06/ 9/08
GM cant win for loosing. UAW/CAW are greedy bastids!
ateixeira says:
01:52 PM, 06/ 9/08
Well, GM did say "dependent upon market demand", which is nonexistent.
Buh-bye.
Shoot, if they strike now, it will help ease the excess inventory.
firstwagon says:
06:34 PM, 06/ 9/08
I used to be in the CAW and hondaacura4 is correct.
Greedy, stupid, bullies are all words that apply.
It is a shame to see people lose jobs but since they have extorted their pay and benefits to far beyond what their skill set merits, they had to see it coming.
They used to get away with it years ago when the Canadian dollar was 63 cent US (making it cheap to build car here)but now that it's on par there is no reason for GM to put up with the crap.
estreka says:
03:56 AM, 06/10/08
Ah, the Gettelfinger of the north. As stated, Canadiens have priced themselves out of work. Hello Mexico!
flicmod says:
06:43 AM, 06/10/08
Interesting thought on why some automakers started building vehicles in Canada, firstwagon. I didn't know what the economic situations were like back then, but it kind of parallels what it's like in Mexico right now.
Imagine the Mexican workforce unionizing and following the same trend as here in America and Canada. Where would car production go to next? India? China?
estreka says:
12:56 PM, 06/10/08
Flic - Brazil. Though I think eventually some anti-union government will attract companies looking for cheap production.
flicmod says:
01:42 PM, 06/10/08
Hmm. Never thought about Brazil.
China is, by far, the "best" anti-union government looking for more production capabilities to prolong their steam-rolling economy.