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Skilled Trades Association 2008 Update Archive December 2008 Dec 30, 2008 - The U.S. Treasury will inject up to $6 billion into GMAC as part of a plan to shore up the finances of GM’s lending arm and the U.S. auto industry, the Bush administration said Monday. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 29, 2008 - Perhaps the ugliest fallout from the crisis gripping the automotive industry in Ontario is the mean-spirited sentiment that it is somehow the fault of workers. Particularly the Canadian Auto Workers. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 25, 2008 - The U.S. Federal Reserve today granted a request from GMAC to become a bank holding company, a designation that helps General Motors Corp.’s lending arm avert a potential bankruptcy, significantly improves GM’s chances of survival and provided an immediate sense of relief to auto dealers. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 20, 2008 - Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Dalton McGuinty have announced a $4 billion bailout for General Motors Canada and Chrysler Canada. In "Trades News Articles"
U.S. President Bush's bailout plan contains some "targets" the government wants the automakers and the United Auto Workers union to achieve before agreeing to a bailout loan. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 19, 2008 - Saying he has to “shield the American people from a harsh economic blow at a vulnerable time,” President George W. Bush this morning announced plans to immediately extend $13.4 billion to struggling Detroit automakers, adding that in normal times it is a step he would be unlikely to take. In "Trades News Articles"
The Bush administration said Thursday that bankruptcy was one of the options it was considering as part of direct aid to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, raising fresh questions about the companies' prospects. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 18, 2008 - General Motors Corp., working to conserve cash as it pursues immediate financial aid from the White House, today said it has put on hold construction plans for a new Flint plant slated to build the engines for two of its most anticipated new cars: the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle and the Chevrolet Cruze. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 17, 2008 - Ontario would lose 517,000 jobs within five years if the Big Three automakers went out of business, according to a new provincial report. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 16, 2008 - Asian automakers, especially Toyota Motor Corp., the world's second-largest automaker, have said that aid should be given to the Big Three. Apparently, these overseas automakers want their competitors, the Big Three, saved. They have got their reasons. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 14, 2008 - The U.S. Treasury Department on Sunday was asking detailed questions and studying the books of automakers while working on an auto rescue package of up to $15 billion to prevent General Motors and Chrysler from collapse. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 13, 2008 - Industry Minister Tony Clement says federal and Ontario governments have agreed on a proportional auto aid plan worth close to $3.3 billion to bail out the Canadian auto industry. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 12, 2008 - A $14 billion (U.S.) emergency bailout for U.S. automakers collapsed in the Senate Thursday night after the United Auto Workers refused to accede to Republican demands for swift wage cuts. In "Trades News Articles"
Labour, lawmakers and the auto industry bargained in unprecedented private talks at the Capitol Thursday night, claiming progress in a common struggle to salvage a $14 billion government bailout of the nation's Big Three carmakers. In "Trades News Articles"
Lawmakers and auto industry executives were trying to craft a compromise $14-billion rescue for General Motors and Chrysler Thursday afternoon, but it was unclear whether the gulf among the sides could be bridged by any deal. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 10, 2008 - U.S. Congressional leaders put the final touches on a $14-billion rescue for GM and Chrysler today, as Democrats planned to hold a House vote today and top Senate Republicans raised several objections, with some vowing to filibuster. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 9, 2008 - Chrysler Canada may close its two assembly plants in Canada unless the Canadian and Ontario governments provide $1.6 billion in emergency aid, the Globe and Mail reported, citing a restructuring plan filed last week. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 8, 2008 - As lawmakers drew closer to granting $17 billion to keep GM and Chrysler alive, key disputes remained over how much power the U.S. government would claim for itself, whether GM Chairman Rick Wagoner would be ousted, and whether automakers would be forced to drop lawsuits against state global warming rules. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 7, 2008 - Detroit's automakers may bear little resemblance to themselves by the time Congress and the Bush administration are done, with conditions touching every part of their business. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 6, 2008 - General Motors of Canada Ltd. is seeking a rescue package of at least $2-billion from Ottawa and Ontario, but the figure could rise to $3-billion if conditions in the auto sector worsen. In "Trades News Articles"
And now they drive back to Detroit. The second money-begging pilgrimage to Washington by the CEOs of the three U.S.-based automakers went a lot better than their first vist two weeks ago. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors has announced it will be cutting the third shift at the Oshawa car plant Feb. 9, resulting in the layoff of 700 workers. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 5, 2008 - Read the Detroit Free Press’ blog of Thursday's Senate Banking Committee hearing with the Detroit Three automakers, who are seeking $34 billion in financial aid to survive the economic downturn. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 4, 2008 - UAW President Ron Gettelfinger today said the union will suspend the jobs bank and delay the 2010 payment into a retiree health-care trust. In "Trades News Articles"
Dec 3, 2008 - Chrysler LLC's November auto sales fell a staggering 47 percent and General Motors Corp.'s November vehicle sales slid 41 percent, the companies reported this afternoon. In "Trades News Articles"
GM's plan asks Congress for up to $18 billion in emergency financial aid and, in return, offers to eliminate 30,000 jobs, shutter nine plants, reopen the UAW contract and either shrink, sell or possibly kill three additional brands. In "Trades News Articles"
There is something happening in this country that disturbs me. The policies of the Conservative government are allowing industry in this country to die. In "Your Letters"
Dec 2, 2008 - A letter written to Lorrie Goldstein of the Toronto Sun by Ed Steers after she wrote an article lambasting General Motors. In "Your Letters"
November 2008 Nov 28, 2008 - CAW President Ken Lewenza said that even if all the unionized auto workers in Canada, as well as management, were to work for free for an entire year, it would only offset the Detroit Big Three's average 2008 losses for 11 days. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 28, 2008 - The made-in-the U.S. credit crisis that is adversely affecting the auto industry is spilling over into Canada where pressure mounts for stakeholders from the government to the Canadian Auto Workers union to be part of the solution. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 27, 2008 - Mainstream media covering the financial woes of the auto industry seem fond of noting that domestic makers produce “gas guzzlers”. It’s generally understood that the hapless American car builders couldn’t build an efficient car if their lives depended on it, which they seemingly do. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 26, 2008 - You've probably read or heard a lot about overpaid American autoworkers--in particular, the fact that the average hourly employee of the Big Three makes $70 per hour. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 24, 2008 - Workers at the CAMI Automotive Inc. assembly plant have voted to share the pain. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 23, 2008 - The board at General Motors has reviewed the possibility of bankruptcy, even as the cash-strapped automaker pursues congressional aid to help it survive the global credit crisis and the worst automotive sales environment in 25 years. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 22, 2008 - General Motors Corp. told workers Friday morning it will make further production cuts at several factories, according to people briefed on the discussions. In "Trades News Articles"
The UAW is negotiating the possible elimination of its controversial jobs bank and is considering other concessions to help Detroit's automakers win low-cost loans from Congress, people familiar with negotiations said late Thursday. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 21, 2008 - General Motors Corp. is ready to respond with detailed plans that will address Congressional concerns about the automaker's viability and show the automaker can survive and pay back taxpayer-funded loans, CEO Rick Wagoner said Thursday. In "Trades News Articles"
Congress kicked the auto industry’s request for a $25-billion loan back to Detroit Thursday, demanding more information by Dec. 2 about how the companies would use the money to survive before considering any bill. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 20, 2008 - The Harper government is promising aid to the beleaguered auto sector as part of a five-point plan it hopes will protect Canada from the global economic crisis - and insulate the minority administration from political fallout. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors of Canada is sitting on a pension shortfall of $4.5-billion, according to the company. Industry sources indicate that Ford's plan is about 90% funded, and Chrysler's plan is likely fully funded. In "Trades News Articles"
Detroit's Big Three CEOs returned to the hot seat Wednesday, fending off tough questions about how long they can survive without government help during a House hearing. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 19, 2008 - Ontario's Economic Development Minister says risk management will be on his mind when he heads to the U.S. this week to learn more about how the U.S. government intends to help the struggling North American auto industry. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 18, 2008 - The debate over aid to the Detroit-based automakers is awash with half-truths and misrepresentations that are endlessly repeated by everyone from members of Congress to journalists. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 17, 2008 - Congressional Democrats and the Bush administration agree that Detroit's Big Three need and deserve federal help, but they don't agree on how much money the automakers should be given, or where it will come from. In "Trades News Articles"
Cash-strapped General Motors Corp. will sell its entire stake in Suzuki Motor Corp. for 22.37 billion yen ($230 million), the automaker's latest move to stay afloat while awaiting a decision on government aid for the industry. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 15, 2008 - General Motors of Canada has assured the 1,300 employees at Windsor Transmission there are no plans to move up the announced closure of the plant earlier than June of 2010. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 14, 2008 - The federal government is holding informal talks with Washington to co-ordinate financial aid for struggling Big Three automakers, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 12, 2008 - Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty will meet next week with auto industry officials to discuss the "significant" bailout package he's seeking for them from Ottawa. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 11, 2008 - Bad news kept piling up for General Motors today as its shares plunged to their lowest point in 60 years and some industry analysts predicted the automaker would collapse without a government bailout. In "Trades News Articles"
With GM dropping its $2.5 billion bomb on Friday, analysts, brokers and the public at large were waiting until today to see where the General's stock price would end up. At the end of the day, it's hovering around $3.36 a share, up from this morning where it hit $3.04, or four pennies away from its lowest rate in over 60 years. In "Trades News Articles"
Close observers of the tableau presented at President-elect Barack Obama's Friday press conference saw unequivocal evidence that help from the U.S. Government is coming to the Detroit-based auto industry. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 8, 2008 - General Motors Friday announced temporary shutdowns and plans to indefinitely lay off about 3,600 workers at 10 plants beginning early next year. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 7, 2008 - General Motors Corp. and Cerberus Capital Management LP have called off talks about a possible deal to transfer Chrysler LLC's automotive operations to GM. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors Corp., teetering on the brink of insolvency, reported a net loss of $2.5 billion and burned through $6.9 billion in cash in the three-month period ended Sept. 30. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 6, 2008 - The U.S. Department of Energy unveiled interim rules to oversee its $25 billion auto loan program late Wednesday, which could allow automakers and suppliers to win loans before the end of the year. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 5, 2008 - Barack Obama's victory in the presidential race will give labor unions and the embattled U.S. auto industry a strong ally in the White House, and likely will put pressure on oil and gas producers and pharmaceutical companies. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 4, 2008 - General Motors' October U.S. sales plunged 45 percent, Chrysler's sales tumbled 35 percent and Ford's dropped 30 percent, as low consumer confidence and tight credit combined to scare customers away from showrooms. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 3, 2008 - General Motors Corp. merger talks with Chrysler LLC may intensify this week as the companies wait to see whether the U.S. will provide financial aid to help complete the deal, people familiar with the matter said. In "Trades News Articles"
Nov 1, 2008 - Talks between the Renault-Nissan alliance and Cerberus Capital Management LP have stopped as both sides acknowledged Cerberus's preference to conclude a deal for Chrysler LLC with General Motors Corp., according to sources familiar with the situation. In "Trades News Articles"
Five questions for Ken Lewenza: National president of the Canadian Autoworkers Union. In "Trades News Articles"
October 2008 Oct 31, 2008 - The U.S. Treasury Department, armed with a $700-billion fund to help salvage the economy, is no longer talking to automakers about possible aid, further complicating efforts by General Motors to seek help for a merger with Chrysler, the Free Press was told Thursday. In "Trades News Articles"
There is a chance that there could be an agreement between General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC by Tuesday that would result in half of Chrysler’s assembly plants closing and 24,000 lost jobs, Kimberly Rodriguez, principal of Grant Thornton’s automotive practice, said today. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 30, 2008 - General Motors Corp. and Cerberus have resolved key issues over a deal for the Detroit automaker to acquire Chrysler LLC, but are still trying to hammer out financing, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 28, 2008 - Ontario is keeping a close watch on an apparent request by General Motors for a $10-billion rescue package from the U.S. government to aid in its purchase of Chrysler. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 27, 2008 - Moody's Investors Service on Monday cut its rating on General Motors Corp deeper into junk territory on the expectation that the automaker's liquidity will continue to erode into 2009 despite any benefit from the U.S. government's $25 billion low-cost loan program. In "Trades News Articles"
The U.S. Treasury Department is considering how to best provide financial assistance to facilitate a possible merger between General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC, a source familiar with the government's thinking told Reuters on Monday. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 24, 2008 - General Motors Corp. will begin involuntary layoffs of its salaried and contract workforce beginning late this year and will reduce the benefits available to those who remain, its top executives wrote in a note to its executives. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 23, 2008 - General Motors Corp. is exploring a possible sale of its global independent aftermarket parts business, ACDelco, in yet another move aimed at raising cash and cutting costs, the automaker said today. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 22, 2008 - General Motors is looking for a large investment from outside investors as a possible alternative to a deal with Chrysler LLC, the Financial Times reported on its website on Tuesday. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 21, 2008 - The possibility of General Motors acquiring Chrysler raises the spectre of "further significant downsizing" in Canada and a car assembly plant in Brampton, could be the first to go, says Canadian Auto Workers president Ken Lewenza. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors Corp has detailed a plan to slash costs at Chrysler LLC but initial attempts to secure financing for the controversial merger have been rebuffed, raising new doubts about whether it can be completed without government aid. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 19, 2008 - The possibility of a General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC merger has encountered stiff opposition from organized labour around the world, concerned about the possibility of job losses from a combined auto company. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 11, 2008 - General Motors Corp. faces a series of hard choices should the U.S. economy continue to struggle for the next few months. With cash at a premium, here are some measures GM might be forced to consider before it turns to bankruptcy. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors Corp. is in talks with Cerberus Capital Management LP about a possible merger with Chrysler LLC, a person familiar with the matter said late Friday. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 8, 2008 - The Stephen Harper Conservatives offered more money to the auto industry yesterday - following financing packages for Ford and General Motors unveiled days before the campaign started. But $200-million is likely to do little to help auto companies and parts makers reach industry targets that his government supports. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 7, 2008 - General Motors Corp.'s European unit plans to reduce production by about 40,000 vehicles by the end of the year as credit-market turmoil deflates demand, and is suspending operations at all plants in the region this month. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 6, 2008 - General Motors has scheduled overtime for the rest of the year at its Lordstown complex. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 1, 2008 - U.S. President Bush signed a $634 billion spending bill Tuesday that includes funding for $25 billion in low-cost government loans for the auto industry. In "Trades News Articles"
September 2008 Sept 29, 2008 - President Bush is expected to approve $25 billion in loans for American automakers after the Senate approved the measure overwhelmingly on Saturday. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 26, 2008 - J.D. Power and Associates will present its prestigious Founder’s Award to the General Motors Car Assembly Plant in Oshawa, Ontario today, Friday September 26. The award signifies the plant’s long-standing commitment to producing high-quality vehicles. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 25, 2008 - General Motors Corp. is expected to announce that it will build a new factory in Flint, Mich., that will make four-cylinder engines for the Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 19, 2008 - Younger General Motors workers will be able to keep their jobs because of the large number of buyouts accepted at a soon-to-be shuttered truck plant in Oshawa, Ont., but the Canadian Auto Workers union said Wednesday the solution is nothing more than a "bandage on a very, very deep wound." In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 18, 2008 - Henniges Automotive of Welland is shedding more than 200 jobs before the end of November and remaining unionized employees will face a three-week shutdown at Christmas time. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 8, 2008 - General Motors has confirmed it will invest $245 million in a new transmission line in the Garden City — but local union officials aren’t dancing in the streets yet. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors of Canada Ltd. will invest another $290 million in the reeling manufacturing cities of St. Catharines and Oshawa. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 7, 2008 - A new transmission line guaranteeing 350 manufacturing jobs for the Garden City is a go, said General Motors on Saturday. Vice-president David Paterson said General Motors Canada has received letters of agreement from federal and provincial governments pledging a combined $140 million to new projects in St. Catharines and Oshawa. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 6, 2008 - The Harper government has struck an election campaign-eve deal with General Motors of Canada Ltd. that requires the auto maker to build a hybrid car in Oshawa, Ont., invest $245-million in a plant in St. Catharines, Ont., and undertake leading-edge environmental research at its Canadian engineering centre. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 4, 2008 - If there is a big announcement coming, no one seems to know about it. For two days, reports from national media have put a federal funding announcement for a new General Motors transmission line in St. Catharines just days away. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 3, 2008 - The Harper government will move to shore up its economic credentials in hard-hit and vote-rich Ontario today by doling out cash to key Detroit auto makers just days before an expected election call. In "Trades News Articles"
They didn’t see it coming. But the bombshell dropped on stunned John Deere workers is sending aftershocks they will continue to feel for weeks and months to come. Some 800 workers will lose their jobs when the company moves south by the end of 2009, and Welland’s oldest and largest industrial employer ceases to exist. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 1, 2008 - Canada's economic evolution in recent years has demonstrated two personalities. For business it's been all sunshine and optimism. Business-friendly policies and record corporate profits (the highest ever as a share of GDP) spark celebrations in the boardrooms. In "Trades News Articles"
August 2008 Aug 26, 2008 - General Motors Corp. in Flint received millions in tax breaks Monday that will help the company build a new engine plant for the Chevrolet Volt, the automaker's extended range electric vehicle. In "Trades News Articles"
Aug 23, 2008 - Would John McCain or Barack Obama bail out General Motors Corp. or Ford Motor Co. should the shadow of bankruptcy fall upon them? In "Trades News Articles"
Aug 14, 2008 - After first mating its six-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission to a 2.4 liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine in the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ Spring Edition earlier this year, General Motors will spread the combination to a handful of other vehicles for 2009. In "Trades News Articles"
Aug 5, 2008 - The auto maker's board, comprised of 14 members with Mr. Wagoner as chairman, met Monday and Tuesday. The meetings were part of the board's annual product review and included presentations from top company executives. In "Trades News Articles"
Aug 1, 2008 - General Motors announced a staggering $15.5-billion second-quarter loss this morning, much of it from onetime, noncash costs from its sweeping plan to respond to high gas prices and the credit crunch that have produced the worst U.S. auto market in more than a decade. In "Trades News Articles"
July 2008 July 31, 2008 - General Motors Corp. may cut 15 percent of its salaried workforce in the U.S. and Canada by the end of the year as the money-losing automaker tries to pare annual costs by $10 billion. In "Trades News Articles"
July 28, 2008 - More vehicles to be built at new Oshawa plant; senior workers to get pay package as part of union settlement to be announced today. In "Trades News Articles"
July 24, 2008 - The Canadian Auto Workers union says it is close to reaching a "unique" resolution with General Motors in a bitter dispute over the pending shutdown of the company's Oshawa truck plant. In "Trades News Articles"
July 23, 2008 - Ford has delayed the addition of a third shift and hundreds of jobs at its Oakville assembly plant indefinitely because of an abrupt downturn in sales of crossover vehicles. In "Trades News Articles"
July 21, 2008 - Employment in Canada's auto industry has sunk to its lowest level in 14 years. In "Trades News Articles"
July 16, 2008 - GM has delayed a $700-million project that would see it make more fuel-efficient transmissions at its St. Catharines plant as the automaker scrambles to adjust its production and planning in an era of $4-a-U.S. gallon gasoline. In "Trades News Articles"
July 15, 2008 - General Motors Corp. plans to reduce its salaried workforce by thousands of people, cut truck production even further, suspend its dividend and borrow $2 billion to $3 billion more to weather a severe downturn in the U.S. market. In "Trades News Articles"
July 14, 2008 - General Motors Corp. plans to announce a wide-ranging cost-cutting plan Tuesday, following a Monday meeting of its board of directors, sources familiar with the plan said. In "Trades News Articles"
July 12, 2008 - Booming sales of General Motors' compact cars have raised demand for the company's Windsor-built transmissions. But that won't be enough to save the Windsor Transmission plant, a GM spokesman warned Friday. In "Trades News Articles"
July 2, 2008 - Tuesday, Toyota reported 11.5% drop in June U.S. sales on a daily selling rate basis, hurt primarily by a sharp decline in truck and SUV sales as customers continued the shift to small and fuel-efficient vehicles amidst spiralling oil prices. In "Trades News Articles"
June 2008 June 27, 2008 - Canadian autoworkers acknowledged that General Motors Corp's decision to close a Oshawa, Ontario, truck plant next year was irrevocable, a union leader said on Thursday after a meeting with company officials. In "Trades News Articles"
June 25, 2008 - General Motors of Canada Ltd. may soon reveal more new models for its flexible manufacturing plant in Oshawa, but union leaders say it won't take the focus off the fight to keep a nearby truck operation open. In "Trades News Articles"
June 24, 2008 - The General Motors truck plant in Oshawa is among seven GM manufacturing plants being closed temporarily for weeks at a time, beginning next month until the end of 2008. In "Trades News Articles"
June 21, 2008 - General Motors has changed its mind and will build hybrid pickup trucks in Oshawa, Ont., after all. In "Trades News Articles"
June 20, 2008 - With its stock market value tumbling, General Motors Corp. is temporarily freezing its future large truck development efforts and preparing to hire lower-paid workers. In "Trades News Articles"
June 19, 2008 - General Motors’ engine plant in St. Catharines has been named by a prestigious productivity survey as being the No. 1 auto-parts manufacturer in its category in North America. In "Trades News Articles"
June 18, 2008 - Disliking unions has become something of a national pastime in certain areas, notably the political right and big business, and certainly over the years unions have given their opponents plenty of ammunition. In "Trades News Articles"
June 17, 2008 - General Motors and the Canadian Auto Workers hold high-level talks here today, trying to defuse the tense standoff over the future of the company's Oshawa truck plant. In "Trades News Articles"
June 16, 2008 - CAW local 222 president leading the fight to stop General Motors from closing an Ontario truck plant says the battle is "far from over." In "Trades News Articles"
June 14, 2008 - An Ontario Superior Court judge has chastised General Motors Corp. for announcing the shutdown of a truck plant in Oshawa, Ont., two weeks after signing a new contract with the Canadian Auto Workers that contained commitments that the plant would be kept open. In "Trades News Articles"
June 13, 2008 - Reports of this town's death may have been greatly exaggerated. Same goes for those bracing for a giant war between the Canadian Auto Workers and General Motors. In "Trades News Articles"
June 12, 2008 - General Motors says police have refused to intervene in a high profile illegal union blockade at its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa that will cripple the automaker's business and reputation if it continues. In "Trades News Articles"
June 11, 2008 - GM is asking an Ontario court to end a blockade at its Canadian headquarters and is seeking $1.5 million in compensation from the Canadian Auto Workers for damages that occurred at its assembly plant in Oshawa, Ont. In "Trades News Articles"
June 10, 2008 - GM of Canada said yesterday that it will act to end the blockade of its Oshawa, Ont., head office by employees angered over its announcement last week that it will cease production next year of pickup trucks at an assembly plant in that city. In "Trades News Articles"
June 6, 2008 - General Motors Corp. is sticking to its decision to close an Ontario pickup-truck plant in two years, Canadian Auto Workers President Buzz Hargrove said after a meeting today with the largest U.S. automaker. In "Trades News Articles"
June 5, 2008 - The federal government offered to help Ontario's ailing auto sector yesterday by inviting General Motors of Canada Ltd. to tap into a $250-million fund to help the company build a third model at its car plant in Oshawa. In "Trades News Articles"
Auto workers are to block the entrance of the General Motors of Canada's headquarters in Oshawa again today to protest a plan to close a nearby truck plant next year. In "Trades News Articles"
June 3, 2008 - A decision by General Motors to shut its Oshawa truck plant in 2009 will affect operations at the automaker's St. Catharines engine plant says a top Canadian Auto Workers official. In "Trades News Articles"
In a move its Canadian union calls "illegal" and a betrayal, General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM) is shutting four North American truck plants, including one in Oshawa, Ont., that employs 2,600 people. In "Trades News Articles"
May 2008 May 27, 2008 - Ontario has had more than its share of bad economic news lately. With an overvalued Canadian dollar, a recession in the U.S., and a flood of one-way imports from offshore producers, our manufacturing industry is in crisis. In "Trades News Articles"
May 22, 2008 - UAW members that build the Malibu and Aura at General Motors Corp.'s Fairfax assembly plant have approved a new contract, ending a nearly three-week-old strike. In "Trades News Articles"
May 21, 2008 - General Motors Corp.'s string of labour problems could soon come to an end with a tentative agreement reached Tuesday at a key assembly plant in Kansas City, Kan. that manufactures the Malibu and Aura. In "Trades News Articles"
May 19, 2008 - Striking workers at American Axle wiill face deep concessions in the UAW's tentative agreement with the company. But details of the deal show that the union fought to stem the depth of those cuts and soften the impact on workers. In "Trades News Articles"
May 18, 2008 - Canadian Auto Workers at four General Motors plants have ratified a new labour deal that mirrors agreements with other major auto makers. In "Trades News Articles"
Canadian Auto Workers with Chrysler LLC yesterday followed their colleagues at GM and Ford and ratified a tentative three-year contract that freezes wages, suspends cost of living allowances and reduces vacation pay. In "Trades News Articles"
May 17, 2008 - St. Catharines autoworkers have accepted a new contract designed to protect their jobs in an increasingly battered industry. In "Trades News Articles"
The UAW and American Axle have reached a tentative agreement on a new labour contract, said people familiar with the the negotiations and a company spokeswoman.
Workers at a General Motors plant near Lansing, Michigan ratified a new local contract on Friday, ending a month-long strike that shut down production of popular GM crossover vehicles. In "Trades News Articles"
May 16, 2008 - General Motors of Canada has reaffirmed its commitment to bringing a new transmission line to St. Catharines as part of a tentative contract agreement struck early Thursday morning with the Canadian Auto Workers. In "Trades News Articles"
Workers at Chrysler's Windsor Assembly Plant who had learned Thursday their union and employer had reached a tentative agreement, said they were happy to reach a deal that secures their jobs, given the economic slowdown. In "Trades News Articles"
May 15, 2008 - GM is committed to produce a 6-speed transmission at its St. Catharines, Ontario, engine plant, the union said. It also agreed to produce its next-generation V8 engines at St. Catharines and Oshawa. In "Trades News Articles"
The UAW and GM have reached a tentative agreement that could end a four-week strike at the Lansing Delta Township Assembly plant where they make the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave and Saturn Outlook crossover vehicles. In "Trades News Articles"
The Canadian Auto Workers union said it was still bargaining with Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corp. Wednesday evening on new labour contracts, pushing past a self-imposed deadline of 6 p.m. to strike a deal. In "Trades News Articles"
May 14, 2008 - Can anyone really believe that Ontario would have maintained its relative strength in the North American auto sector had the province not been able to secure that extra $7 billion in new investment? In "Trades News Articles"
May 13, 2008 - Even free land and government money weren't enough to convince General Motors Canada Ltd. to keep building transmissions in Windsor. In "Trades News Articles"
May 12, 2008 - General Motors says it does not have any new product to bring to its Windsor Transmission plant so it will close the plant in 2010, putting 1,400 employees out of work. It's a sad day in Windsor. In "Trades News Articles"
The Canadian Auto Workers was said to be mulling over the first economic offer made by General Motors of Canada Ltd. Sunday, on the eve of starting contract negotiations with Chrysler Canada. In "Trades News Articles"
May 11, 2008 - When lawmakers were busy sketching out the details of the North American Free Trade agreement in 1988, Buzz Hargrove, then assistant to Canadian Auto Workers president Bob White, said the union would "fight like hell" against lower U.S. wages and benefits that could creep into Canada. In "Trades News Articles"
May 9, 2008 - General Motors Corp has agreed to pay up to $200 million to help end the 10-week strike at parts maker American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. by funding employee buyouts, early retirements and wage buy downs, according to a regulatory filing submitted today by the automaker. In "Trades News Articles"
May 6, 2008 - Negotiating committees from the CAW and General Motors will meet in Toronto Thursday to try and reach an early collective agreement that mirrors the recently-ratified agreement with Ford Motor Company and provides new product allocations for the company's Canadian operations. In "Trades News Articles"
Our local attended the Day of Mourning in St. Catharines recently. Approximately 786 Canadians die as a result of work-related incidents each year. That's an average of two deaths per day. There were 378 deaths in Ontario in 2007. Don't be another statistic.
May 5, 2008 - The United Auto Workers launched a strike Monday at a key General Motors Corp. assembly plant, halting production of the Chevrolet Malibu. In "Trades News Articles"
The Canadian Auto Workers will ask General Motors and Chrysler today and tomorrow to match a historic early contract, including a wage freeze, that union members at Ford Motor Co. of Canada have ratified. In "Trades News Articles"
May 4, 2008 - The handout that is being given out today at the CAW contract ratification votes at Ford can be found at the link found in "Trades News Articles" (4 MB file)
May 1, 2008 - Ford Canada and the CAW reached a tentative agreement on a new national labour agreement Thursday afternoon, as expected. In "Trades News Articles"
April 2008 April 29, 2008 - Just when it seemed like the worst of General Motors’ cuts to its Oshawa plants was over, St. Catharines workers who have transferred there have been hit with more bad news. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors is cutting a second shift and more than 900 jobs at its once-mighty Oshawa truck assembly plant this fall in another body blow to Ontario's manufacturing sector. In "Trades News Articles"
April 28, 2008 - Ford Canada and the CAW have reached an agreement on a Master Economics Offer that will now become the centerpiece of all-out collective bargaining aimed at reaching a tentative agreement between the two sides later this week. In "Trades News Articles"
April 26, 2008 - GM and the UAW have managed to avoid strikes at a plant in Wyoming, Mich., near Grand Rapids, and at a Malibu plant in Kansas City, Kan. In "Trades News Articles"
April 25, 2008 - General Motors Corp. faces strike deadlines Friday from United Auto Workers locals at two factories, including one in Kansas City that makes the strong-selling Chevrolet Malibu sedan. In "Trades News Articles"
April 21, 2008 - As the strike at American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc. lingers into its eighth week, workers on the picket line and even the president of the United Auto Workers say the longer they're out, the better the settlement they will expect. In "Trades News Articles"
April 19, 2008 - General Motors Corp. avoided a strike at a Warren powertrain plant on Friday, but the UAW threatened to send workers to the picket lines at two other factories, including the one that makes the hot-selling Chevrolet Malibu. In "Trades News Articles"
April 18, 2008 - Taking out the plant that builds General Motors Corp.'s hot-selling crossover vehicles was one thing, but now the UAW is set to cause the automaker even more pain by striking at the factory that makes most of its transmissions. In "Trades News Articles"
April 15, 2008 - The pictures from the April 2008 retirement dinner are online. Thanks go to Ed Gould for sending them our way. In "Picture Archive"
Chrysler and Nissan will link to supply each other with products. Nissan will make a small car in Japan for Chrysler and Chrysler will sell to Nissan a version of its Mexican-built Dodge Ram to replace Nissan's Titan. In "Trades News Articles"
April 13, 2008 - By walking the picket line outside of American Axle & Manufacturing's plants in Detroit three days a week, Steve Conner says he hopes not only to preserve his wage to support his wife and nine children, but also so workers at General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC don't face the same fight in a few years. In "Trades News Articles"
April 12, 2008 - American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. was "disappointed" in an offer from the United Auto Workers union that would have paid workers double the market rate, the company said Thursday. In "Trades News Articles"
March 2008 Mar 31, 2008 - Ford of Canada will use a $17-million investment from the Ontario government as part of a $168-million plan to reopen the Essex engine plant in southwestern Ontario, but the company warned Monday it will not expand the project further without direct participation from the federal government. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 28, 2008 - General Motors Corp., with light-truck output slowed by a strike at a supplier, may shut its first car assembly plant by April 4, a union chief said. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 26, 2008 - The Detroit Three auto makers want to slice their Canadian wage and benefit costs from $77 (U.S.) an hour closer to the $49 faced by their Japan-based rivals in the U.S., the Canadian Auto Workers union says. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 25, 2008 - But one of the most important steps on China's long march to an auto export industry was the little-noticed arrival of the humble engine inside the 2005 Chevy Equinox. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 22, 2008 - Detroit automakers in the U.S. are turning to their pension funds to pay for incentives to persuade people to retire. Some workers, however, are balking at the arrangements. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 18, 2008 - Support has been pouring in for striking workers at American Axle & Manufacturing from other unions and businesses that want to back a strike they say has come to represent a fight for working-class wages beyond the Detroit axle supplier and even beyond the auto industry. In "Trades News Articles"
The battle over a possible union at Toyota's assembly plant in Cambridge is escalating with allegations that the company is intimidating workers before a vote this week. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 17, 2008 - The United Auto Workers is demanding job guarantees from American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. to end a 3-week-old strike. In "Trades News Articles"
Some of General Motors Corp.'s local unions are pushing back against the automaker's plan to implement lower-wage jobs at its factories, a key part of GM's new labor deal with the United Auto Workers union. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 13, 2008 - The next few days will determine if we get new investment from Ford,'' CAW President Buzz Hargrove said today in a speech in Windsor. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 12, 2008 - American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. said late Tuesday that it would consider further shrinking its U.S. operations if the United Auto Workers doesn't agree to lower wages and benefits. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 7, 2008 - As negotiations between American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. and the United Auto Workers union spill into the weekend, it's increasingly likely General Motors Corp. will need to step in to end the 11-day long strike, industry watchers say. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 4, 2008 - Two more General Motors Corp. plants are slated to shut down as a result of the strike at American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors of Canada Ltd.'s Oshawa car plant is increasing production of a model that the automaker plans to eventually phase out there. In "Trades News Articles"
Mar 1, 2008 - When Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove makes new pronouncements, they carry weight both within and beyond the labour movement — even when, as has recently been the case, they seem to undermine what Canadian unions have always stood for. In "Trades News Articles"
February 2008 Feb 29, 2008 - General Motors is shutting production at its Fort Wayne, Flint and Oshawa truck assembly plants around midnight because of parts shortages caused by the UAW strike at American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 28, 2008 - The new federal fund will help General Motors of Canada Ltd. make the case to its parent company, General Motors Corp., to invest more than $700-million (Canadian) to assemble a more fuel-efficient rear-wheel-drive transmission at St. Catharines, Ont. In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 27, 2008 - The $250 million Ottawa plans to pump into Canada's automotive sector could help workers in Niagara's struggling manufacturing sector, says St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan, whose community is reeling from job losses at General Motors.” In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 26, 2008 - The United Auto Workers launched a strike against American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. late Monday night after negotiations broke off when the two sides failed to reach a deal on a new labour pact.” In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 21, 2008 - The Big Three vehicle makers in Canada are not operating at a huge labour cost disadvantage compared to the United States, the Canadian Auto Workers insists.” In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 19, 2008 - Workers at Martinrea International Inc.'s Kitchener Frame Ltd. auto parts plant got a one-year reprieve from their plant shutting down following negotiations with the facility's management on Monday.” In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 17, 2008 - Lutz told a group of reporters that “global warming is a crock of sh*t.” Lutz then went on to hit Toyota, saying the Prius “makes no economic sense.” In "Trades News Articles"
China has experienced its first defeat at the World Trade Organization (WTO), in a case referred to restrictions on the importation of foreign-made car parts. Upholding a complaint from the European Union, Canada and United States, the preliminary WTO finding agrees that current Chinese practice is protectionist. In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 13, 2008 - GM announced yet another sweeping buyout program to all of its 74,000 hourly workers who are represented by the UAW, part of an ongoing effort to reduce the number of highly paid autoworkers at the company. In "Trades News Articles"
North America's traditional automotive industry will effectively disappear within a decade if Ottawa doesn't put trade restrictions on imported vehicles, CAW president Buzz Hargrove says. In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 12, 2008 - Martinrea International Inc. says it intends to close the Kitchener Frame auto parts plant next year unless it finds new work and lowers production costs, a union official said Monday. In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 7, 2008 - The crisis afflicting much of Canada's auto parts industry deepened Wednesday with the announcement of another plant closing in Windsor, Ont., raising the stakes for the federal government as it decides whether to spend $30-million to help reopen another plant in the beleaguered city. In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 5, 2008 - GM on Tuesday announced a $69 million investment in an Ohio plant to manufacture a new diesel engine that will meet U.S. emission standards due to go into effect in 2010. In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 4, 2008 - Leaders from General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers union soon will begin touring the automaker's U.S. plants to help determine which factory jobs should be reclassified as lower-wage positions. In "Trades News Articles"
Feb 2, 2008 - GM, the industry leader, said its volumes soared 18.1 per cent or more than 4,000 to 26,404 because of surging business for its small cars, the Chevrolet Malibu sedan and sport utility vehicles. In "Trades News Articles"
January 2008 Jan 30, 2008 - Canada's manufacturing sector is in a state of crisis. Over the past five years, the Canadian economy has lost more than 350,000 manufacturing jobs as a result of plant closures and permanent layoffs in communities from coast to coast. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 28, 2008 - Chrysler LLC said on Monday it is offering buyouts of up to $100,000 each to hourly workers at 12 of its Detroit-area facilities as part of its November plan to eliminate up to 10,000 unionized jobs. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 26, 2008 - Members of the Canadian Auto Workers union occupied a tool-and-die making plant in Kitchener, Ont., Friday in a bid to force creditors of the closed operation to pay severance to workers. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 25, 2008 - Despite a reported change in plans for General Motors Corp.'s car-assembly complex in Oshawa, Ont., the Canadian Auto Workers union says enough money has been invested in the huge plant to ensure it thrives. In "Trades News Articles"
Industry Minister Jim Prentice says Ford might yet qualify for federal help to reopen an engine plant in Windsor, Ont., because Ontario manufacturers would be eligible to tap the Harper government's $1-billion economic hardship fund if the province agrees. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 23, 2008 - Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is threatening to impose trade barriers on automobiles imported to the province from South Korea unless that country opens up its market to cars and trucks made here. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 21, 2008 - The federal Conservatives say they won't subsidize the Ford Essex Engine Plant, but General Motors says it is having no problem negotiating for Ottawa's support for a major project in St. Catharines. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 18, 2008 - The blame for the delay in the transmission line announcement lies squarely on the shoulders of the corporation. Without an announcement of more work at this facility our communities will certainly endure more unemployment and hardship. In "Your Soap Box"
GM in the U.S. will roll out retirement incentives to nearly two-thirds of its 72,000 hourly workers and may have to further cut U.S. production in 2008, which could mean eliminating shifts or closing plants. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 17, 2008 - The Harper government has refused to provide financial aid to the auto industry, including funding to support a $300-million plan to reopen a shuttered engine plant in Windsor, Ont. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 15, 2008 - GM is still studying which cars to build in Oshawa, Ont., alongside the new Camaro because the U.S. debate on fuel economy means it's difficult to assess the market for rear-wheel-drive cars, company chairman Rick Wagoner says. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 13, 2008 - St. Catharines mayor Brian McMullan visited GM's powertrain plant on Glendale Avenue Thursday with Regional Chairman Peter Partington, St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley and St. Catharines MP Rick Dykstra to discuss how government can help Canadian manufacturing. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 11, 2008 - Premier Dalton McGuinty says he'll press Stephen Harper tonight for more help for Ontario's vulnerable manufacturing workers beyond the "inadequate" package dangled by the Prime Minister. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 10, 2008 - Buzz Hargrove, the feisty president of the Canadian Auto Workers union, has taken a lot of heat both from within his own union and from other unions for his decision to sign a no-strike agreement with auto parts giant Magna International. In "Trades News Articles"
Buzz Hargrove of the CAW said on Thursday that Ottawa's planned C$1 billion fund to aid industry sectors hurt by global economic turmoil falls far short of what is needed to help the ailing Canadian auto industry. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 7, 2008 - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to dampen provincial expectations this week when he considers demands from the premiers for more generous employment-insurance benefits and financial aid for the country's hard-hit manufacturing sector. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 4, 2008 - General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. just wrapped up one of their best years for vehicle quality and critical acclaim -- and one of their worst in sales. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 3, 2008 - The General Motors Powertrain Plant in the Town of Tonawanda will not produce a new line of powerful V-8 engines, the value of which is estimated at more than $300 million. In "Trades News Articles"
GM had been working on an engine program to replace the Northstar with a new high-tech DOHC V8 for its luxury cars, but revealed today that the program's been cancelled. In "Trades News Articles"
Jan 2, 2008 - What to build in Canada? With the loonie knocking the stuffings out of industries, the country's future in manufacturing is unclear. In "Trades News Articles"
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