Job Termination
Layoffs called an economy killerThe Canadian Auto Workers union is mounting a campaign to save manufacturing jobs. NORMAN DE BONO |
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 [ 2007-03-31 ] |
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The Canadian Auto Workers union is mounting a campaign to save manufacturing jobs.
The CAW has launched the "manufacturing matters" campaign which is looking to raise awareness about the impact of job losses on the community, and what can be done to save workers.
"We are trying to highlight job losses in manufacturing across Ontario," said Tim Carrie, president of Local 27, Canadian Auto Workers.
"This is about informing and educating the people about the whole issue of losing jobs," said Carrie.
The CAW has maintained unfair trade practices have allowed foreign automakers to sell cars here while access to their markets is restricted. The CAW would like to see more open access to foreign markets,m, without tariffs.
Carrie would also like to see trade policies which could pressure Asian and European automakers to build more assembly and parts operations here, he said.
While trade protectionist legislation has been consistently struck down as illegal at the World Trade Organization, the campaign may culminate in a national day of protest, said Carrie.
"We need to mount a campaign to look at trade issues. If they want to sell products here, they should have plants here." CAW officials and laid-off workers will attend the meeting tomorrow which will look at job losses in London, St. Thomas and Woodstock. It will be held at 10 a.m. at CAW Local 27 hall, 606 First St.
While manufacturing jobs have been lost across the country and province, London is an exception, having gained 3,000 manufacturing workers from 2005 to 2006, according to Statistics Canada figures.
"We are actually the contradiction to what is happening, because we have (the Toyota assembly plant opening in Woodstock next year) but that is not the case across the country," said Carrie.
Still since 2002, more than 1,300 manufacturing jobs have been lost in London and area, a loss of about $67 million from the local economy each year, according to CAW figures.
Manufacturing in London accounts for 39,800 workers or 16 per cent of the entire workforce, generating about $14 billion in economic activity. From 2002 to 2006, Ontario alone lost 171,600 manufacturing jobs.
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