As the months tick down to the impending shutdown of the General Motors plant in Oshawa, other parts manufacturers around the region are also feeling the pressure.
One plant in particular, LEAR Corporation in Whitby, employs 350 people, but what’s next is anyone’s guess.
“People are scared,” says Ron Lootsma, who has been an employee at the Whitby plant for more than 30 years.
“I started here when I was 18, right out of high school, so I have no other education.”
His fear is echoed by others at the plant. LEAR has been quiet about what might happen to its plant when GM shuts its doors.
“We don’t know what our future holds. We haven’t actually been formally told that the plant is actually closing,” Lootsma says.
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However, the reality is that LEAR Corporation in Whitby solely makes bucket seats for General Motors automobiles, and GM Oshawa is their only client. Union representatives say unless the company rethinks what it makes at the Whitby facility, work could dry up at the plant once GM shuts down its operations.
Ken Pearn has five children and has worked with the company in Whitby since it began. He says the most frustrating part is not knowing how much compensation workers may get, if indeed the plant does shut down.
“We’re trying to get our benefits and our pension before the doors close in December,” says Pearn.
Todd Richards, Unifor chairperson for the plant, echoes this sentiment.
“We can’t seem to get off the ground with this corporation,” Richards says. “They’re dragging their feet. The stress in the plant is beyond belief — people are so stressed out.”
Unifor is fighting for LEAR employees as well as GM workers, but at the Whitby plant, employees like Pearn feel short-changed by LEAR.
“These are our families’ lives. We depend on it. We worked for a lot of years for this company; they made hundreds of millions of dollars on our backs. Now it’s time to look after everybody in the community,” Pearn says.
The potential closure of LEAR’s Whitby location is just a glimpse of what could happen to parts manufacturers around the region once GM closes up shop later this year. Unifor Local 222 president Colin James says this is just the beginning.
“With the trickle effect, there’s probably going to be 15,000 people affected within the community and the surrounding areas,” says James.
He adds that it’s not just manufacturing jobs at risk, but related and support positions as well.
“The cleaners in the plant as well as Robinson building services, and Syncreon Automotive within the facility — the list goes on and on,” James says.
Global News made several attempts to contact LEAR for comment on the matter but was declined.
In a statement from Unifor, union president Jerry Dias says he stands behind the workers.
“Unifor is determined to secure agreements that address important issues such as transition to retirement opportunities, financial support and adjustment support,” Dias says.
Earlier this year, GM promised to invest $170 million in a restructuring plan and save 300 jobs. However, more than 2,000 GM workers will still lose their jobs once the plant closes.