Fighting for the future of Oshawa

As this newspaper hits the streets, some of the most anticipated contract negotiations in quite some time are taking place in Toronto.

Unifor, which represents much of the country’s unionized autoworkers, is negotiating new contracts with the Detroit Three – Ford, Fiat-Chrysler and General Motors. And according to the head of Unifor, it is that last automaker that will present the toughest negotiations of all.

And what is at stake? According to Jerry Dias, Unifor’s national president, it is the future of automobile production in Oshawa. The union leader says that if General Motors gets its way, an industry that has been a cornerstone of the city’s economy for the better part of a century could soon come to a halt.

If such a thing were to occur, not only would thousands be out of work, but the city could be hard hit as well. The Conference Board of Canada, in its regular look at the country’s cities, gave Oshawa a favourable outlook on its economic future, but based on the assumption that the plant stays open. Alan Arcand, the associate director for the board’s Centre for Municipal Studies, tells The Oshawa Express that should that assumption prove wrong, the board “would definitely downgrade our outlook in the next report.”

Unifor made the right call by taking a tough stand in these negotiations, saying that no deal would be signed with General Motors unless product is committed to Oshawa. With the automaker saying for the past two years that it would not make that decision until after negotiations were completed, it would be foolish on the union’s part to sign a deal with the hopes that something comes Oshawa’s way.

But at the end of the day, the union is only one wheel in the cog. While labour costs in Canada are lower than south of the border thanks to the lower dollar, it is only part of the equation. Governments of all levels need to step in as well, and help make Oshawa an irresistible place to invest.

Based on the announcement a couple of months ago that General Motors would be bringing more research and development jobs to Canada, including Oshawa, it is evident that the automaker already sees something in this country and this city.

But, of course, that does not help the workers worried about their jobs now. With lower electricity rates and other tax incentives, the multi-billion-dollar automaker could look to Oshawa, and see green within the city limits. And with green comes investment, and with investment comes jobs.