Canadian Autoworkers Stage Sitdown Strike Over GM Plant Closures

Unifor members scheduled to work the day shift at General Motors’ Oshawa assembly plant in Canada began a sit-down protest Wednesday morning around 8 a.m., stopping production, according to a union spokeswoman.

Workers were expected to resume production later Wednesday morning.

The protest started just hours after workers staged a similar protest during Tuesday’safternoon shift -- and then walked out of the plant en masse -- following news that the automaker did not accept Unifor’s proposals to save the factory, the union said.

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CANADIANCOMMENTS - 1/9/2019 10:50:26 AM

+3 Boost

Striking while the plant is still open and there is work to do isn't going to win you any fans at GM or with Chinese makers who want to make cars in Canada and are sitting on the sidelines. There is nothing wrong with looking for a new job while you work hard at your present one.

qwertyfla1 - 1/9/2019 9:21:33 PM

+1 Boost

CC

What Chinese companies want to make cars in Cana-duh -specifically Ontario? Our electricity costs are the highest in North America (thanks Libtard Green Energy Plan and PM Butts), our property taxes are stupidly high and we have the most unfriendly labor laws to business with a union mafia strong hold. Oh did I forget Carbon Tax now coming too so it can kill off even more of the manufacturing sector and chase them south of the 49th...

I'm calling BS on this one when Mexico is 1/10th the labor costs and you have the whole SE USA Right to Work States that are much more business friendly. Sorry but with the US tax reform and a whole shitload of other reasons you would have to be a special kind of stupid to bring any type of car plant to Ontario. Sad really as we used to be the manufacturing powerhouse of North America.

qwertyfla1 - 1/9/2019 1:14:36 PM

0 Boost

What a spoiled bunch of assholes that should be fired on the spot for refusal to work. The Canadian Government bailed GM and Chrylser out some $12 Billion to save these jobs at a cost of $475K per job and now they feel entitled to a "job for life" and more government welfare -fuck them!

Are we suppose to bail out every large company that wants to hold us hostage? Maybe these greedy union dog fuckers should come down on their wage demands to be more competitive with Mexico and other 3rd world shitholes that we ALL must compete against. Besides it was the Union greed and mismanagement that brought both these dinosaur companies to BK and frankly they may have been better to die and let other "viable" manufacturers pick up the market void.

ricks0me - 1/9/2019 8:19:00 PM

0 Boost

All of the above...very well said

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 1/10/2019 7:23:33 PM

0 Boost

@QEW - BYD wants to make buses and trucks in Ontario to serve the GTA and Montreal markets. I think they already sold some electric buses to the TTC. They already have a US plant. I read a news report that said other Chinese firms were looking at locating in Ontario too. The Huawei CFO / CDN hostages incident has caused them to put plans on the back burner until it is all worked out.