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Have Your Say on GM layoffs

Jun 03, 2008 - 12:33 PM

We asked: What do you think of the latest layoffs at GM in Oshawa?


 This isn’t just about being made redundant. It’s about broken promises and having one’s dreams shattered, and having to start over again without the security that GM offered. Should a company be held to a promise they believe is no longer worth their interest? How difficult it is to start a new life, whether as a retiree, or seeking employment, or deciding to look for new opportunities or pursue the dreams they once had.

-- Sue McPherson, Oshawa


People are not getting it. Because they are not losing their jobs, they just don’t care. The seriousness of the loss of thousands of manufacturing jobs in Ontario... We are losing manufacturing jobs here at an alarming rate. Manufacturing is what makes Ontario the engine that it is. When people lose their jobs, any job, where does the government get their money to pay for all of our services and infrastructure. Wake up!

Theresa Crumb, Oshawa


Why isn’t the Volt being produced here? Our new car is a GM. It’s better than the rest and at the right price. If the company and union want us to keep buying, they need to lower the wages and benefits to management and staff. Then they can pass on the savings to consumers and bonus employees on profits. Produce electric cars, generate clean energy locally and keep the money in our economy.

Allan Williams, Ajax


Having been an auto parts supplier for a number of years I knew that sooner or later the bear would turn and swat the CAW as they have every supplier. It's not very nice when it happens. The moral of the story is don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Paul Rouen, Whitby


A lot of people are being mislead by government officials and GM corporation. They are telling you that Silverados and Sierrias are not selling and that GM must find new product to replace these trucks. The truth is that even if demand for these products drops by 40 percent this year over last GM will still need 1 million of these trucks built a year to meet North American demand. It would take two plants running three shifts and one running 2 shifts (if they run at the industries best standard which is OSHAWA) to meet this demand. Trucks may be in less demand as a mode of transportation but they will always be needed as a valuable tool to many people and businesses to get work done. Can anyone with sincerity tell me why the best truck plant in the world should not be one of the plants to make the best truck in the world.

Stewart Parks, CAW member local 1090


To those that feel the recent GMC announcement won't impact their households. Every DAY in 2007, Oshawa autoworkers paid $586,000.00 in property, income, and sales taxes. Once these jobs are gone, its the remaining population that will be assuming those costs. Write your politicians and understand nobody is immune to the pain these autoworkers are dealing with. There's a way to do business and clearly GM opted to take a very unethical path. We're all in this together.

Jeanne Linklater


I reside in Burlington, Ont. I am retired and spent my entire career in the auto industry. Until today I was considering purchasing a new G.M. vehicle, but based on G.M.'s decision, I cerainly will not. I wouldn't and couldn't trust anyone or anything a G.M. representative had to say, to sell me a vehicle. My very best.

Paul F Moore, Burlington


Workers circled the GM truck plant in Oshawa Saturday, creating a moving convoy of cars to prevent delivery of parts making their way into the factory. The CAW 222 is protesting against news that GM is shutting down operation of the truck plant in 2009 - eliminating thousands of well paying, 25-plus an hour manufacturing jobs. I agree the news is grim but considering the a) poor air quality already because of the heat wave and b) the price of gas, this was a poorly planned and self-indulgant way to protest, pollute the air and burn fuel at $1.35 a litre. I understand the CAW wants to make a point but did they have to choke me in the process? I live here, too. I don't work for GM but if they want me to support them, the tactic pulled on Saturday only made me more apathetic to their plight. Whatever happened to just forming a sit in? You can block driveways with human bodies. The convoy was unnecessary.

Cindy Smith, Clarington


"Made In Canada Matters" t-shirts Guess that means its OK for me to buy a Honda Ridgeline now built in Alliston, Ontario, Canada

Rene Smith, Ajax


I am already tired of the (now) 4 day protest on Colonial Sam by truck plant workers facing losing their jobs.  Yes, it's unfortunate.  What I do no understand is why union workers feel it is their God-given right to be employed.  Yes, it's unfortunate.  But yes, it happens.  It's called life.  You can't expect your employer to look out for you your entire working life.  I have little to no sympathy for the picketers.  It's simply a business decision that likely wasn't taken lightly.  I'm sorry you did nothing else to prepare youself for other work but you have to face losing your job and making other arrangements.  I wish you would stop acting like babies and buck up.

Lindsey Clarke


 There’s no simple, single answer. GM needs to look really hard at their past service and stand up and back up their product, not nickel and dime their customers with lazy, poor excuses to pacify them. I’ve always been loyal to GM; I’ve never owned anything else. Have they really been loyal to their customers? Without the little people, there are no big people. GM, remember what it took to get where you were?

Brian Hutcheon, Oshawa


Instead of picketing GM’s head office, why not go after the real cause of this plant closing. The oil giants are the ones that have caused this closure by making fuel so expensive that no one will be able to afford to drive anything but econo-tin cans.

Robert Pfefferle,  Ajax


 I'm really amazed at vitriolic comments of people who apparently believe autoworkers are just low-class people who don't deserve to earn a decent living. Laurence Cutner's letter is a case in point. Where do people like him get such elitist delusions of grandeur? It's unfortunate that he took the wrong courses at school and they didn't translate into the mega job he thought he deserved.  Tough luck, eh sport, it sucks to be you.

Robert Page, Clarington


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