It was interesting watching UNIFOR president Jerry Dias at his press conference Monday addressing the closure of General Motors operations in Oshawa.
The downsizing will see over 14,000 GM employees displaced in North America, including 2,500 in Oshawa as part of a worldwide restructuring plan which will also see plants closures in the U.S.
The aggressive speech revved up union members in the room but did very little to offer any kind of hope over and above a good fight.
It seemed the union president’s speech focused on GM living up to an agreement signed a few years ago that guaranteed nothing would be closed under the deal which ends in 2020.
OK, but the plant is closing December of 2019 and the next month is 2020.
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Therefore it appears GM has fulfilled its commitments unless the union is planning on dragging it out another few months into 2020.
Hardly a long-term strategy.
I’m not sure what can be done to stop GM’s departure. More government incentives to stay? Another taxpayer bailout?
How long can you prop up a company that thinks it can get a better deal elsewhere?
Is it any different than what you or I do every week at the grocery store when we compare prices?
Why would GM be any different?
The economy is changing, you can’t help but hurt for Oshawa.
But as someone who has been downsized five times, I think the best strategy is to work on what is next for these poor employees, instead of beating a dead horse.
Scott Thompson is the host of The Scott Thompson Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML
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