Retiree Chairperson’s Report – March 2019
Well, it is finally warming up a bit. I will be going to a meeting on March 28th and 29th, 2019 in London, Ontario with all the Retired Workers Chapter Chairpersons for the Detroit three meaning Ford, Fiat Chrysler and GM. I will make a full report about this important meeting at the Retirees Chapter Meeting on April 17, 2019. I am putting my facts together for these meetings.
I looked south to Ohio to watch the GM Lordstown Plant be the first of five plants to closing down during the week of March 4, 2019. This happened with not even a whimper from the UAW. Last month the workers from this plant sent GM-CEO Mary T. Barra, Valentine’s Day cards and candy hearts telling her not to forget her workers in Ohio at the GM Lordstown Plant. This made me sick to my stomach and tells you where the UAW is at.
In Canada, Jerry Dias, along with the local leadership and workers, are fighting to save jobs at GM Oshawa. Right or wrong, Unifor is at least putting up a fight and the last time I checked that is what a Union is supposed to do. There is no closure agreement in place for GM Oshawa at the present time. But there are indications that talks could start soon. Hopefully, the union will negotiate a rich closure agreement soon just like it did for the workers at the Windsor Transmission Plant and at the Caterpillar Plant in London. The union still has leverage there as long as GM continues to need to have quality vehicles come off the assembly line.
I would also like to remind everyone about the big healthcare rally coming up on April 30th at Queens Park. We are in for one hell of a fight on the healthcare issue given what the Ford government is trying to get away with. Our publicly owned healthcare system is facing a major attack and we must draw a line in the sand.
Fred Dougan
Chairperson, Retiree Chapter, Unifor Local 199