Mr. Speaker, today I rise to present an online petition calling on the Government of Canada to secure future production levels at Unifor local 88, GM CAMI Ingersoll, where workers today are on strike over this very issue. The petition points out that GM announced in January 2017 that 625 workers would be laid off because production of the current model Chevrolet Equinox would end one year earlier than previously stated. The petition also states that for every auto job lost, the surrounding community loses seven jobs, negatively affecting 4,375 jobs; and that Canada has seen zero new auto factories over the last five years while Mexico has had nine new facilities.
The signers of the petition demand that GM reverse its decision to build the next-generation GMC Terrain in Mexico and bring that production back to GM CAMI Ingersoll, maintaining production and staffing levels at 2016 numbers.
The petitioners also request that the government engage stakeholders to develop an effective national auto strategy, including the integration of federal and provincial investment attraction incentives, ensuring that Canada's investment incentives are competitive and efficient, and reversing the automotive trade deficit with all countries, including Mexico.