Jul 02, 2009 - 03:22 PM

By Melissa Mancini

OSHAWA -- One of the founding plants of the local United Auto Workers union had its contents sold off last week.

Pittsburgh Glass Works (PGW), located on Front Street in Oshawa, shut down at the beginning of 2009. The company announced it would be closing its Oshawa glass-fabrication facility last December.

On June 25 the PGW unloaded everything inside the plant from glass-fabrication equipment to office furniture. Shelving units were being sold with everything that was on the shelves as part of the deal.

More than 30 bidders showed up at the beginning of the auction which was run by Maynards Industries. A thick booklet of items were on the block. Potential buyers also joined the sale online placing bids via the Internet. The auctioneer said it was the company's goal to have all the small stuff out of the plant by July 3, with an ultimate move-out date of July 31.

Jeff Gardner attended the auction and bid on a few of the first dozen items to come on the block. Despite snagging some deals, Mr. Gardner said what was happening was actually a bit depressing.

"Because it's sad, it's a really dark day," he said.

The auction is indicative of what is happening to the manufacturing sector in the area and of all the lost jobs. It's also upsetting to see all of the equipment sold off for much less than what its value would have been just a year ago, Mr. Gardner said.

"Everything is selling for pennies on the dollar."

The auto glass plant was among the first workplaces that formed United Auto Workers union Local 222 in 1937. The company at that time was called Phillips Glass, according to a CAW news release. Over the years, the plant has had different owners such as Duplate, PPG and most recently Pittsburgh Glass Works, which bought the plant in October 2008.