Unifor battles GM over Equinox production ramp-up in Mexico

General Motors has “declared war” on Canada by ramping up production of its Equinox vehicle in Mexico, Unifor president Jerry Dias charged Thursday.

The automaker’s move to assemble more of the popular crossover sport utility vehicles — now made at CAMI Assembly in Ingersoll, whose 2,800 workers are four weeks into a strike — at two Mexican operations is a slap in the face of the company’s local workforce, said Dias.

“This means the strike at CAMI will continue, it means GM is declaring war on Canada,” Dias, said Thursday.

The strike is largely in a fight over job security language as it wants a pledge the local assembler will maintain three shifts of work.

“We are sick and tired of losing the auto industry and now GM is saying they are ramping up production in Mexico. The reality is CAMI workers have been working six days a week for eight years and all we are asking for, is if there is a loss of volume, they take it out of Mexico first,” said Dias.

But Dias should dial down the harsh rhetoric, as GM Canada has supported the national industry, and Unifor workers, with investments in its Oshawa plant, $800-million in the CAMI plant, as well as its St. Catharines engine operations, said automotive analyst Tony Faria, economics professor at the University of Windsor.

“He is taking this too far. GM has in no way declared war, it has staked out a position with regard to negotiating production at an assembly plant,” said Faria.

“I think Unifor has pushed GM into a corner and they could have either given up, or fought,” Faria said. “GM has decided to fight back. Unifor has taken a hard position.”

GM Canada could not be reached.