General Motors is cutting up to 600 jobs at its assembly plant near London, Ont.<\/p>\n
Mike Van Boekel, spokesman for Unifor Local 88, says the layoffs will take effect in July at the CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ont.<\/p>\n
That plant was excluded from negotiations last fall<\/a> between Unifor and the Big Three automakers, including GM. The CAMI plant is scheduled to have its own negotiations with its roughly 3,000 workers later this year.<\/p>\n\n News to lay off more than 600 workers at CAMI-GM is a betrayal shows why NAFTA is a terrible deal #cdnpoli<\/a> #canlab<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/cNOpmbdXjG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 “This decision reeks of corporate greed,” Unifor’s national president Jerry Dias\u00a0said.\u00a0“It is not based on sales, it is an another example of how good jobs are being shifted out of Canada for cheaper labour in Mexico, and Unifor will not let it happen without a fight.”<\/p>\n Earlier this month, GM announced it would be moving GMC Terrain production to Mexico from the Ingersoll\u00a0plant, but boosting production of another vehicle, the Equinox, with the extra capacity at the CAMI plant.<\/p>\n Van\u00a0Boekel\u00a0<\/span>says the layoffs were\u00a0announced Friday morning and are directly linked to the company’s decision to shift production of the Terrain to Mexico.<\/p>\n In a statement, GM said “General Motors Canada provided Unifor advanced notification of labour impacts related to product changeovers and transition at its CAMI facility.”<\/p>\n “We continue to work with our Unifor partners to manage through the adjustment with all measures available to us within the collective agreement,” spokeswoman Jennifer Wright said.<\/p>\n Asked for comment, Navdeep\u00a0Bains, Canada’s\u00a0minister of innovation, science and economic development,\u00a0said the government is “concerned about the impact of job losses on workers and their families and our thoughts go out to those affected.”<\/p>\n “We remain optimistic about the strength and future of Canada’s automotive industry,” Bains said.<\/p>\n The move comes against the backdrop of a new administration in the U.S. that has threatened to tear up NAFTA<\/a> and slap a punitive tariff on\u00a0companies that make cars outside the U.S. in places like Mexico, which makes about two million cars a year bound for\u00a0the U.S. market.<\/p>\n\n
\n @JerryPDias<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
Ottawa weighs in<\/h2>\n