Major Auto

The CAW represents 33,000 workers in the major auto sector. There are over 31,000 members who work for one of the Big 3 auto makers (General Motors, Ford and Chrysler) and another 2,000 members who work for CAMI Automotive (a joint venture between GM and Suzuki).

An additional 1,500 members are employed in various office, warehouse and security functions for the major auto companies. Together, the major auto sector comprises 17 per cent of the CAW membership.

Major Auto: At a Glance

The Canadian auto industry is grappling with a historic crisis. Since peaking in 1999, Canada's auto sector has been faced with challenges that will alter the face of the industry for decades to come. Unfair trade with Asian and European countries and a high Canadian dollar have resulted in thousands of direct job losses in recent years. The impact of this job loss on the economy is much worse when the indirect, spin-off jobs, are taken into account (there are approximately 7 jobs created for every one job in the auto sector).

However, all is not doom and gloom for the Canadian auto industry. Ontario is still a prime location for many manufacturers establishing auto assembly operations thanks to high worker productivity, competitive labour costs and public funding.

Unlike the cyclical downturns that have plagued the auto industry in the past, the current situation is rooted in much deeper and structural problems. The imbalanced and unfair trade arrangements allowing foreign companies to export vehicles into Canada but also maintain trade restrictions on the number of vehicles imported into their own market make it very difficult for Canadian automakers to compete. Without our own framework for trade protection (as we had with the Canada-U.S. AutoPact), and with governments willing to open up our market even further to this one-sided competition, past successes in major auto manufacturing will continue to be undermined.

Follow the links below for information on CAW-Big 3 Bargaining

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