GM Comments On Relationship With Canadian Labor Union After Layoffs Announced For Ontario Plant

Following the announcement of 625 layoffs at General Motors Company GM’s Ontario plant, Unifor President Jerry Dias expressed support for renegotiation of the NAFTA deal.

Dias told Reuters that the GM decision “came right out of left field.”

"This is NAFTA,” he said. “This has nothing to do with Trump, but it has everything to do with NAFTA.”

The head of the labor union alleged that GM, which plans to shift production to Mexico, was motivated by cheaper labor opportunities.

In response to Dias’s remarks, GM told Benzinga it acted appropriately with regard to Unifor policies.

“General Motors Canada provided Unifor advanced notification of labor impacts related to product changeovers and transition at its CAMI facility as older models are phased out and CAMI begins production of the next-generation Equinox,” a company spokesperson said. “We continue to work with our Unifor partners to manage through the adjustment with all measures available to us within the collective agreement.”