Report: GM CAMI Plant Strike About Job Security, NAFTA, and Mexico

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
9-27-2017

Why would workers at one of General Motors' most productive North American plants running three shifts straight out building the company's most popular crossover worry about job security? "Mexico" is the answer according to a detailed story published by the Detroit News.

 

Workers and union representatives at the Canadian CAMI plant which builds the new Equinox worry that work will shift from the higher-wage plant to a plant in Mexico. The concern is not unfounded. The CAMI plant has already lost 400 jobs and the GMC Terrain to Mexico. The Detroit News used the example of four-year CAMI plant worker Todd Sleeper. Sleeper took the job at CAMI after Caterpillar offered workers at his old job a choice; Accept a pay cut of 50% or the company would move the work to Mexico. The work moved, and he was out of a job. Sleeper sums up what the strike is about, saying, “We need to start protecting jobs here in Canada.” It should be noted that most of the Equinox vehicles built in GM's CAMI's plant are exported to the United States.

 

The CAMI plant employs 2,450 hourly workers as well as about 300 salaried workers. The plant is located in Ingersoll, Ontario Canada about 80 miles North-East of Detroit and Dearborn, Michigan.

 

Ten days ago, GM issued this statement on the CAMI plant strike: While General Motors of Canada and our Unifor partners have made very positive progress on several issues over the past weeks, the Company is disappointed that we were not able to complete a new agreement. We encourage Unifor to resume negotiations and to continue working together to secure a competitive agreement.