Auto Crisis
Auto Industry in Crisis
The auto industry is a crucial part of the Canadian economy. Every job in a major auto plant supports 7.5 jobs in the national economy. The auto industry in Canada supports 440,000 or more jobs in total, including in the auto parts sector, and generate many billions of dollars per year in tax revenues. A recent study by the Ontario Manufacturing Council estimates that should General Motors, Ford and Chrysler disappear from Canada, so too would as many as 582,000 jobs - a terrible blow to Canadian workers and the national economy at an already diffcult time.
The auto industry needs short-term help, but it also needs a long-run plan. Responding to the current crisis requires a viable long-term strategy to guide our industry in all key areas: fixing our infrastructure, investing in skills, supporting new capital, protecting the environment, and leveling the playing field in global trade. All levels of government must recognize the strategic importance of the auto industry and put in place necessary supports, including funding for green product development and new investments. Right now this aid is critical for the industry's long term survival.
Please check below for a list of current campaign material and resources.
Take Action! Click here to send a letter to Industry Minister Tony Clement
- CAMI Election Report: June 2007 - September 30, 2009
- How Much Do Autoworkers REALLY Make? - April 21, 2009
- Study: The Profitability of Automotive Manufacturing in Canada 1972-2007 - April 13, 2009
- Statement by CAW President Ken Lewenza on the Canadian and U.S. Auto Restructuring Announcements - April 6, 2009
- Bankruptcy Protection: What would it mean for the auto industry? (leaflet) - April 7, 2009
- The Political Economy of Industrial Policy: Auto Industry Facts and Fiction (presentation by CAW Economist Jim Stanford) - February 4, 2009
- Resolution: CAW Auto Leadership Meeting - February 17, 2009
- Article: Honda to Cut North American Production, Worker Pay (Reuters News) - April 1, 2009
- Canadian Automotive Trade Balances 1999 to 2008 - February 16, 2009
- Resolution: CAW Big Three Master Bargaining Committees Joint Meeting - January 29, 2009
- 29 Crucial Things You Probably Didn't Know About the Auto Industry - November 26, 2008
- We're in This Together! A Message to Toyota and Honda Workers
- Auto Industry in Jeopardy -Presentation by Jim Stanford, CAW Economist - November 20, 2008
- Comment: Don't Blame The Workers - Norman De Bono, London Free Press - December 27, 2008
- Article: Toyota Gears Down Production (Globe and Mail) - December 11, 2008
- Auto Industry on the Brink -booklet
- Auto Facts Pension Update -booklet
Save the Federal Gun Registry! Say NO to Bill C-391
The CAW has joined with hundrds of thousands of Canadians aross this country calling on MPs to vote NO for Bill C-391 - a Conservative-lead private members bill intended to dismantle Canada's long gun registry - the existing government program that administers the registration of rifles and shotguns. CAW President Ken Lewenza said:
The decision by a number of NDP MPs to change their vote on the national gun registry is courageous and a recognition that public safety must be paramount...I am hopeful that we can count on progressive MPs to defeat this potentially disastrous Bill.
