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Strike at Ont. auto plant could cripple operations
CTV.ca News Staff

An unauthorized strike at an Ontario auto parts plant could cripple several General Motors assembly operations and lead to hundreds of job losses, Canadian Auto Workers union leader Buzz Hargrove says.

About 250 workers are on strike at AGS Automotive Systems in Oshawa, which makes bumpers for GM operations in Canada and the United States.

The auto giant is threatening to pull key dies from the operation if the conflict is not resolved quickly.

GM owns the dies, which are used to make bumpers at the facility.

If GM pulls the dies, Hargrove says AGS could go bankrupt, which could lead to hundreds of job losses. It might also lead to the collapse of three other company operations, he says.

Bumper supplies at the Oshawa plant are expected to run out later this week.

Major issues in the conflict include the quantity of future truck bumper production and wages.

AGS was expected to seek a court injunction Wednesday to limit pickets at the plant entrance after delivery trucks were delayed on the weekend.

The workers walked off the job Friday afternoon in contravention of a legal strike deadline of midnight Saturday.

Negotiators and the workers union agreed to extend strike authorization to midnight Tuesday, but talks broke down when the workers walked off the job early.

See this is where I just don't understand the logic behind a union. If I find out that my boss want to fire me I would do everything in my power to keep my job. But with a union they stop working and say FU. They also never look at the ripple affect on other companies. They stop making bumpers then the plant using them goes idle forcing home those shifts, other parts suppliers have to go idle because the plant is idle. Why don't they look at ways to do their jobs cheaper and faster rather than going on strike?

Euro Ford Fan,May 24 2006, 03:21 PM Wrote:See this is where I just don't understand the logic behind a union.  If I find out that my boss want to fire me I would do everything in my power to keep my job.  But with a union they stop working and say FU.  They also never look at the ripple affect on other companies.  They stop making bumpers then the plant using them goes idle forcing home those shifts, other parts suppliers have to go idle because the plant is idle.  Why don't they look at ways to do their jobs cheaper and faster rather than going on strike?
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because then they'd have to work. :lol: :lol:

First of all, fawk you puppet. When I do work, I work at a physically demading pace that is boring as hell and I am on my feet for 7 of the 8 hours I work. So when Ford puts me to work, I do work.
Secondly, these workers are tools. You have to allow your union to actually negotiate. If you walk early, that ends the negotiations and the company says fawk you guys. Let the company and the union have their monent in the sun and get an agreement in place at the last minute as they always do.
We were going to walk out about 4 years ago, but the reps convinced us not to. The union and company got an agreement at the last minute and we got a good contract.
The union is there to negotiate on our behalf for all of us.
Taking away their threat to strike and actually striking ahead of time ties the hands of the union and takes away a great deal of their negotiating power.

I was just being facetious... need a hug?

darkpuppet,May 24 2006, 08:27 PM Wrote:I was just being facetious... need a hug?
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I need a night out................at Nikki's

meford4u,May 24 2006, 08:31 PM Wrote:

darkpuppet,May 24 2006, 08:27 PM Wrote:I was just being facetious... need a hug?
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I need a night out................at Nikki's
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amen brudda..

but I'll be working as long as I can for as long as I can to try and clean up stuff before summer really hits...I may not be free till my next birthday at this rate...