The Canadian union Unifor is calling for an outright boycott of any Mexican-built General Motors vehicles as the union fights to save the Oshawa Assembly Plant, according to The Detroit News. The union will advertise the boycott with a media blitz, purchasing ads on TV, in print, and on billboards. It’s just the latest in a tit-for-tat between the union and the Detroit Automaker.Â
“GM is arrogant to the point they think they can close our assembly plants while ramping up production in Mexico,” Unifor President Jerry Dias told the News. “While GM has choices, Canadian and American consumers also have choices.”
Unifor hopes the boycott will grab GM’s attention and bring the automaker back to the negotiating table; however, it appears GM isn’t open to continuing negotiations. Earlier this month, GM rejected Unifor’s offer to keep the Oshawa factory open, instead suggesting the union begin employee transition efforts. The company also said the boycott could have unintended consequences for workers at Canadian suppliers.
“The threat of collateral damage for Ontario based auto suppliers, auto dealers and workers is concerning, especially for an Ontario economy that is now open for business, with every opportunity to now benefit from increased trade with Mexico,” GM Canada vice president David Paterson said in the statement.
Unifor’s hostility toward General Motors started after the automaker announced a massive restructuring plan that proposed to not only close five North American factories by the end of 2019, but discontinue several models such as the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Impala, and lay off thousands of blue- and white-collar employees. Oshawa employees have walked off the line, held sit-in protests, and protested the automaker at the Detroit waterfront.Â
While Unifor is calling for the boycott, the U.S. United Auto Workers union is not joining in that effort. A UAW spokesperson told the News the union was unaware of Unifor’s boycott. However, Dias has a meeting scheduled with UAW President Gary Jones early next month to discuss the boycott.
Since the Oshawa assembly plant was announced to close, General Motors has announced several vehicles to be built in the United States. These include the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD, the 2020 GMC Sierra HD, and the 2020 Cadillac XT6. Unifor has not called for a boycott on any of these vehicles.
Comments
Nobody said anything when Toyota moved the Corolla production from Ontario, Canada to Mexico. Boycotting Mexico is not really a good solution . I think the general public just doesn’t care anymore where a vehicle is made. I do empathize with the workers losing their job, though.
Joe in To,
How about you get your facts straight before you post, instead of posting half truths?
Toyota moved the low margin Corolla to Mexico and replaced it with far more high end vehicles as the Lexus RX 350, 450H and the high volume RAV4 including the EV.
That makes perfect sense in a high quality and highly educated workforce found in Ontario.
I have boycotted Unifor models.
Why are you hating on Unifor? Because they are trying to protect their members’ jobs? Because they do not want to see Oshawa turn into another Flint, Detroit, Pontiac or any other city GM walked away from? Because they want GM to live up to the contract that Barra herself signed n 2016?
I think more people will be passing on buying or leasing GM vehicles because of their mediocrity as much as where they are assembled. GM used to offer great value across their brands, now it’s just average. GM offered class leading vehicles, now many are middle of the pack. The competition is offering, in many segments, more appealing vehicles. Sometimes appeal is the styling, sometimes it’s performance and in today’s world, sometimes it’s how big the touchscreen is.
I was in Shanghai last week on business and there “mediocrity” is still plenty good enough, how ironic.
Most people buy GM because they like the product
Not necessarily what town or country it was built in
If we boycotted everything that wasn’t built in our backyard
We basically would barely shop anymore.
The average person will buy wherever its from
That’s how Americans think. The rest of the world is much smarter than that.
You are an ignorant person. I try my hardest to only buy American and Canadian products. Our countries are stupid to to do business with Mexico, it’s a greed motivated decision.
Capitalism strikes again… im done with GM. I wish they’d sell Cadillac to a real company so they can properly execute a plan for the luxury marquee.
My company hauls auto parts….and we haul an awful lot from Ontario to Mexico. I feel bad for the people in Oshawa (it will cost us some business too when it closes) but for every job lost there there are likely 7 or 8 in Ontario making parts bound for Mexico.
But hey… those jobs aren’t Unifor jobs…so Jerry doesn’t get rich off them so he cares not.
Exactly what I was thinking. The St. Catharines plant will be building engines to go in the pickups built in Mexico, as they have for more than a decade. Does the Union want that plant to close too? Why doesn’t Jerry focus on bringing in some manufacturing by the auto companies that currently produce NOTHING in Canada? Maybe trying to attract Nissan, Hyundai/Kia, VW Group, etc. would be better use of Union funds than destroying a company that still produces a ton of vehicles and components in Canada.
Matt,
You simplistic dork! It’s the same problem as in Murica, all the plants are going to China or Mexico which are lower cost countries.
You Yanks should be supporting Canada as you’re in the same boat.
If citizens of Canada bought enough Canadian made GM vehicles the plant may not be shutting down. All auto manufacturers can only make profits on vehicles the consumer buys. I knew someone who worked for VW when VW was starting up a USA plant. It takes a minimum of 75,000 vehicles a year sold for a plant to break even before a profit is made.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oshawa_Car_Assembly
George S,
Canadians of very astute and educated buyers. They don’t want that legacy old crap that GM produces. Your exact same comments could apply to the 4 plants closing in the US.
Did you buy one?
I Have a 2012 Silverado made in Ft Wayne, IN. I would have second thoughts replacing it with a double cab made in Mexico. What I was trying to say is everyone blames Mary Barra and other GM brass but they are only reacting to what the consumer wants, SUV and trucks. When a vehicle like the Chevy Blazer was planned over three years ago, these plants that are being closed now, were busy but the buying public really drop interest fast these plants were producing.
I post similar comments on other articles. At least in the US, nearly everything you buy is made in China, including toasters and nail clippers. These type of products were made by millions of Americans that are no longer employed and I’m typing this on my China made IPAD. When just one plants shuts down everyone is up in arms. What about the last GE Light bulb manufacturing plant that was closed permanently and 100% production is now from China. There were news stories but no one was ready to hang the GE CEO.
Many years ago Walmart was being blamed for putting the small retail mom and pop stores out of business. It wasn’t Walmart, it was the customer who shopped at Walmart and not at the local shops.
I lost my career job to over seas offices all because the markets was shifting.
GM can go pound salt. Virtue signalling Mary Barra is destroying the company and any market share it once had.
Oh, but look at all those woke GM female lead engineers they shove in front of the camera….
GM Canada will take a beating in market share just like what happened in Australia.
Machete Mary never met a camera she did not like and dresses the part. If she spent as much time on rolling out great cars and trucks as she does impression management, GM would be far better off.
I have always boycotted Mexican-made vehicles and I try to not buy vehicles with Mexican-made powertrains. It is one thing if you are going to exploit people to cut down on the price of the vehicle, it is another to exploit them just to stuff the CEO’s pockets.
As far as GM is concerned, I am through with them until the jettison Barra and get a competent, ethical management team in that will provide the customer with what they WANT and “build em’ where they sell em’” as Barra herself said GM would.
I stand with UNIFOR and I wish them well. If they cannot safe Oshawa, at least they can bring light to the morally bankrupt upper management GM has.