Hundreds of General Motors employees took to the sidewalk outside the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ont., on Wednesday to call on the auto company to find a new vehicle for production at the plant.
Workers, represented by Unifor Local 88, want clarity on the future of production soon after last week’s announcement that the CAMI plant would no longer be involved in the BrightDrop electric delivery van.
A similar protest was underway in Brampton when CBC London spoke to people at the protest in Ingersoll.
Unifor says the “Solidarity Actions” at the Brampton assembly plant and the CAMI plant were established after Stellantis announced its intention to move the Jeep Compass program from Brampton to the US and GM said it would cancel the BrightDrop program at CAMI.
In Ingersoll, about 1,200 people were suddenly out of work in a part of Ontario where the auto sector is integrated into the economy.
GM has said the decision was due to market demand and poor sales of the van, but has not linked the closure to tariffs in the United States.
Skeptical, many workers at the Ingersoll rally (who have been told they will receive six months’ pay) said they see a direct link between the political climate south of the border and the company’s decision to abandon a facility opened with optimism and public money just four years ago.
“We were ready to get to work, but unfortunately, the new president took office and started talking about tariffs right away,” said Stephen Pyle, a CAMI employee for 20 years.
“They all really liked the idea of what we were doing and saving money with their fleets, but they didn’t want to get locked into contracts that would be hit hard by tariffs in the future.”
Before the protests, GM issued a statement on behalf of its Canadian president, saying it is working to find a new purpose for the CAMI plant and noting that the company has been building vehicles at Ingersoll for more than 100 years. The plant itself opened in 1989.
“While the CAMI Assembly is evaluated for future opportunities, GM’s focus is on supporting our people and working with our partners,” Kristian Aquilina’s statement said.
“These are complex discussions and we need to invest the time necessary for collaboration that delivers better outcomes for our people, our communities and our customers.”
GM has said Canada remains critical to its North American operations, highlighting ongoing production in Oshawa and St. Catharines, as well as a new $600 million battery materials facility under construction in Bécancour, Que.
Still, with $500 million of public money invested in renovating the BrightDrop facilities, ffederal minister of industry melanie Joly said a group that would include the union and Ontario would be created to push for new production at the plant.
Joly also gave GM 15 days to detail next steps for employees, with the deadline being next Wednesday.
“Ultimately, I want to see a new product here. We have proven time and time again that our vehicles are second to none. We deserve a new vehicle,” said long-time CAMI employee Brooke Strub.
“They need to bring another product here,” echoed Maria Chinelli, who came from the GM plant in Oshawa to protest. “This plant is here. The workers are ready to work on the products. The workers don’t want to go. I don’t want to get fired.”
Listen to CBC London’s full interview with Kristian Aquilina, president and CEO of GM Canada, about plans to end production of BrightDrop electric vans at its CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. Aquilina answered questions about the decision, its implications for local workers and what this change means for automotive production in the province.
