News & Events Archived Newsletters CONTACT 2007 February 16, 2007DaimlerChrysler Job Cuts a Disaster
DaimlerChrysler's announcement of 2000 job cuts in Canada is a disaster for workers, their families and communities, CAW President Buzz Hargrove said.
"We couldn't have received worse news . . . they are going to continue their downsizing of Canadian operations," Hargrove said at a press conference on February 14 shortly after the auto maker announced North America wide cuts.
Hargrove blasted the lack of action from the federal government on the issue of unfair trade in autos. Japan, Korea and the European Union are selling millions of vehicles each year in North America, displacing Canadian vehicle production and jobs, he said.
Hargrove said unfair auto trade has resulted in Canada chalking up an auto trade deficit for the first time in 18 years.
But Hargrove said the 2,000 jobs have been lost for good and with that the opportunity for our youth to work in a dynamic sector of the economy.
Other countries around the world work hard to protect and develop their auto industries, while we are letting our most important industry slip away.
Canada Suffers First Auto Trade Deficit in 18 Years
For the first time in 18 years Canada registered an auto industry trade deficit in 2006.
"It is no coincidence that Canada became a net importer in the auto industry last year at the same time we face unprecedented job cuts at North American-based auto manufacturers," CAW President Buzz Hargrove said.
Figures released by Statistics Canada reveal that Canada's auto industry registered a $1.2 billion trade deficit for 2006, the first such deficit since 1988. Mounting imports, combined with declining exports, have eroded the Canadian automotive sector.
In 1999, just seven years ago, Canada's auto industry registered a $14.3 billion trade surplus when Canada was the world's fourth largest auto assembler. Canada fell to eighth place in 2005 and if trends continue will likely be tenth at the end of 2007.
Automotive industry imports from Japan increased 15 per cent last year resulting in a record deficit, exceeding $6 billion for the first time. Canada's automotive industry deficit with the European Union also increased to more than $3.5 billion last year, while the deficit with Korea reached above $1.5 billion.
Surging automotive imports from Asia into the United States also had the effect of cutting Canada's exports last year. The United States is the traditional destination of most of Canada's automotive output.
"The one-way street in global automotive trade has to end," Hargrove said. "It's time governments woke up to the real underlying crisis facing our most important industry - and make fair trade in the auto sector a top priority."
Rally Against Manufacturing Job Loss
The federal government must take immediate steps to staunch the ongoing loss of manufacturing jobs in Canada, CAW leadership told an overflow crowd at Local 444/200 Hall in Windsor recently.
More than 400 CAW members, elected officials and concerned citizens attended the February 11 information meeting on the economy, jobs and the manufacturing sector. CAW leadership are calling for a mass demonstration in Windsor on the issue of job loss from free trade policies, including the federal government's ongoing attempt to extend free trade agreements to Asia.
CAW Local 444 President Ken Lewenza instead called for "managed trade," the Windsor Star reported.
"We've got to make sure we put 20,000 or 30,000 people in our community on the street, marching and defending the kind of country we want for ourselves and our families," Lewenza said.
"At the end of the day, folks, if we succeed we will build a nation of hope and expectations." Lewenza stressed that steps must be taken to end the crisis of lost jobs and lost investment.
"This is a permanent restructuring of the Canadian economy and we've got to stop it in its tracks or there'll be no jobs for people in our community."
The Windsor event is the first in a number of CAW community information meetings on manufacturing job loss in Canada.
Fair Trade in Autos
CAW President Buzz Hargrove is calling on the federal government to establish new fair trade agreements with Asian countries.
Hargrove told an Ottawa press conference February 8 that North American auto manufacturers can't sell cars and trucks into markets such as Japan, China or South Korea, while those countries continue to ship vehicles here in record numbers.
Hargrove urged the federal government to take immediate steps to help ensure the automotive sector continues to provide strong investment and jobs in Canada.
"The only thing that's going to save an industry that provides investment and jobs for Canadians is a fair trade agreement with Asia - to make sure they can't continue to undermine our market," Hargrove said.
Celebrate International Women's Day: March 8
Around the world and in Canada, International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8 marks a celebration of economic, social, cultural and political achievements for women.
In Canada it is a day when women will join everywhere in opposition to the anti-equality polices of the federal Conservative government. IWD will be a day when women will be mobilizing across the country from Yellowknife to Corner Brook, from Vancouver to Moncton, from Halifax to Quebec City to make sure women's voices are heard.
Women are responding to a series of bad decisions by the Harper government which, if not reversed, will set women's equality back twenty years.
"It started when his government cancelled the early learning and child-care agreements with the provinces, cutting $3.7 billion from programs for children. It is children, women and working parents who would have benefited the most from building a national child care system," said Julie White, CAW Director of Women's Programs.
"Then, with a $13 billion surplus, the Harper Conservatives drastically cut funding to the Status of Women Canada (SWC). This sent a powerful message to Canadian women that equality was not important to this government."
Together we can make sure women's voices are heard. Together we can Put Equality Back on Track!
In conjunction with IWD celebrations the CAW donates $100,000 annually to Women's Shelters across the country where CAW members work and live.
For a list of International Women's Day celebrations across the country visit www.caw.ca/women.
