Andra Horwath on GM’s Oshawa Operation Closure

Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement Monday:

 

“Thousands of workers and their families have been devastated by the news that GM is leaving Oshawa, and my heart is with them on this difficult day. But I believe the Province of Ontario can, and must, do much more than extend sympathy. The province needs to fight like hell to protect the roughly 5,000 jobs at GM’s Oshawa operations, and the 5,000 families that count on them.

 

We know that electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles will be at the heart of the auto industry moving forward. So instead of sitting back and letting other jurisdictions lead while waving goodbye to thousands of good jobs, let’s be on the leading edge of the evolution. Let’s make the investments that need to be made. Let’s convince GM now that the vehicles of tomorrow will be built right here, in Oshawa and in Ontario.

 

Today, I was disgusted to hear Doug Ford say that he’s throwing in the towel, and throwing thousands of Oshawa families under the bus by refusing to fight for good auto jobs. He’s already given up before trying. He’s writing off the auto sector. Auto workers and their families deserve better.

 

GM didn’t build Oshawa; Oshawa built GM. For a century, Oshawa has been a global leader in the auto industry. And we can keep it that way.

 

Oshawa workers don’t just want transition support — they want to keep their jobs.”

Andrea Horwath