Roundtable Meeting at Queen’s Park
Last week Mike and I received an email from the assistant to David Piccini Ontario Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development regarding the opportunity to meet with the minister to discuss the ongoing layoffs and extended downtime at the Gm Cami Assembly Plant. The minister personally reached out again of Friday night to continue the conversation. We attended a roundtable meeting on Tuesday April 15 at the Ontario legislature. The meeting included Premier Doug Ford, Minister David Piccini and their assistants, along with other union members. The conversation started around how to best confront the ongoing tariff from south of the border and how to keep auto jobs in Ontario.
• There was discussion on ways to get laid off members into training programs and still be able to be on EI. The skilled trades were of particular interest as there is an ongoing shortage of skilled trades in Ontario and all of Canada.
• The made in Canada procurement policy and putting Canadian jobs first. All levels of government when using tax dollars should be sourcing made in Ontario then made in Canada products.
• How to work with GM to fully utilize the GM Cami Assembly Plant and promote the Chevy Brightdrop product.
• The main goal of this meeting for us was to highlight the ongoing struggles with our plant since the conversion to all electric vehicles and how to best help our members during these ongoing layoffs and downtime.
In solidarity
Plant Chair Mike Van Boekel
President Brent Tree