Unifor Launches Boycott of Mexican-Made GM Vehicles
TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2019 /CNW/ – Unifor has launched a boycott of Mexican-made General Motors (GM) vehicles to protest the automaker’s plans to slash Canadian and American manufacturing while expanding production in Mexico.
“GM is arrogant enough to think it can rob Canada of jobs without repercussions. GM is making a choice to increase manufacturing in Mexico while it abandons communities that have supported it for generations, but make no mistake Canadian and American consumers also have a choice.” – Jerry Dias, National President
Organizers say the boycott call is specific to vehicles manufactured in Mexico to send a message to GM that its customers will not be party to the exploitation and betrayal of workers.
UNIFOR says at a time of record profits, GM plans to throw thousands of Canadians out of work with the closure of its top-quality Oshawa plant and four U.S. facilities while the company expands in Mexico to take advantage of low pay and a lack of human and labour rights.
In 2014, GM confirmed plans to spend $US 5 billion to double production in Mexico. If GM closes Oshawa, by 2020 the company will have cut annual production in Canada by 418,000 vehicles (67 per cent), while increasing annual production in Mexico by 304,000 vehicles (47 per cent) since before the announced Mexican expansion.
“GM is doubling down on the exploitation of Mexican workers before CUSMA comes into effect,” Dias said at a Toronto media conference. “Oshawa Assembly is a high-performing, viable plant that Greedy Motors is walking away from solely to inflate profits by paying Mexican workers poverty wages.”
Unifor continues to ask consumers to show their support by purchasing North American union-made vehicles, including GM products (a list of can be found here). The union also debuted a new television commercial that outlines how to identify where your vehicle is made through its VIN number. For more information visit online.
“We’re asking all Canadians to take this stand in defense of our jobs and in defiance of international corporations that seek to raise profits by lowering the bar for workers,” said Dias.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE: Unifor
OPSEU Joins Unifor in Boycott
TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2019 /CNW/ – OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas is joining Unifor in calling for a boycott of Mexican-made General Motors products, standing in solidarity with Ontario workers who will lose their jobs under GM’s senseless plan to close its Oshawa plant at the end of the year.
“GM’s greed will throw thousands of Ontario employees out of work and hurt our economy. They’re shipping good Ontario jobs to Mexico in the name of bigger profits and we can’t let them get away with it. We tried to talk, now it’s time to act. GM is giving us no choice. We have to hit them where it hurts – their bottom line.” – Warren Thomas, OPSEU President
OPSEU says Canada’s share of auto production jobs has declined significantly over the past decade, but has spiked in Mexico, where companies like GM exploit cheap labour.
While a recent poll by Ekos Research and released by Unifor shows that 45 per cent of Canadians support an outright boycott of GM, both unions want to target only Mexican-made vehicles, said First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida.
Any automobile with a vehicle identification number (VIN) that begins with a “3” is made in Mexico, he noted.
“We need to support made-in-Canada products,” Almeida said. “This boycott will send a strong message to GM: we’re not going to let you send those jobs to Mexico without a fight. Just tell them: if the VIN starts with a 3, it’s not for me.”
SOURCE: Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)
