Discouraging news has been delivered for workers at the GM Cami plant in Ingersoll, Ont. though union officials admit it could be a lot worse.
Unifor Local 88, which represents employees at the plant, was told Thurday morning by GM that the entire plant will be shut down for one week beginning Sept. 30, 2019.
In a statement, Jennifer Wright, communications director for GM Canada said, “In keeping with GM’s strategy to align production with market demand, today CAMI employees were advised of an upcoming down week.”
It means about 2,000 production workers will be laid off during that time, ineligible for employment insurance due to a one-week waiting period to collect.
Another 200 unionized skilled trades employees will remain on the job during that time.
Unifore Local 88 Plant Chair Mike Van Boekel tells CTV news they have also been informed there will be further one-week shut downs throughout the fourth quarter, but couldn’t say how many.
Van Boekel says the reason given for the shut-down is soft sales of the Chevy Equinox SUV, which is manufactured in Ingersoll.
A plant in Mexico that also makes the Equinox has just been reduced to two shifts, down from three, for the same reason.
