Posted on 06/04/2012 8:57:15 AM PDT by jazusamo
CBC News reports that an Ontario General Motors' plant where Chevy Impalas and Equinoxes were built will be closed down, costing Canadians around 2,000 jobs. GM reportedly plans to partially move production of the Impala to its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in Michigan. You may remember the Hamtramck site from the Chevy Volt commercial which trumpeted the building of Volts there. It now seems that low demand for the Volt has led to the plant having enough time to build other, conventionally-powered vehicles. While the Volt may have been the car GM "had to build," it appears that consumers would "prefer" them to build cars like the Impala.
It is also reported that GM will build 2013 Chevy Malibus at the Chevy Volt plant . The additional tasks will give workers that produce the low-selling Volt something to do, other than stay home on paid leave as they have had to do during shutdown periods for the Volt. It also enables GM to politically tout job creation at the Volt plant. The fact that the jobs have not been created by the "green" Volt and that they come at the expense of lost Canadian jobs is sure not to be mentioned.
Canadians that have a stake in GM are learning what it is like to be part of a group that is not politically important in the US. It must seem confusing to those in Canada who read the American media reports about how great GM is doing and how many jobs are being "saved or created." The pain is intensified by the fact that Canada chipped in about $11 billion to help GM through their manipulated bankruptcy process. The CBC article quotes some who question what Canadian taxpayers are getting for their money.
President Chris Buckley of Local 222 Canadian Autoworkers Union laments, "I am absolutely disgusted at GM's decision to close the plant." According to the article Buckley goes on to state, "Our members have done everything GM has asked us to do for quite some time all in the eyes of having jobs in the future. What more can we do to ensure we have a future?"
Canadian politicians echoed Buckley's sentiment as noted in this excerpt:
Opposition parliamentarians were quick to agree. "It's one thing for the company to survive," NDP MP Peggy Nash said. "If the jobs don't survive here in Canada, it's not much good to Canadians."
Liberal MP John McKay wants Ottawa to review the terms of GM's original loan. "They haven't actually paid back the loan at this point," he said. "They have declared dividends, they have sold off shares and ... the poor taxpayers of Ontario and Canada are left holding the bag."
So, I officially welcome the soon to be unemployed GM workers of Canada and the Canadian taxpayers to the "Hosed by Government Motors Club." Members of the club include former GM shareholders and bondholders, widows and other accident and asbestos litigants, owners of "Old" GM vehicles who did not have their vehicles' problems covered by "New" GM, Indian tribes and others who have had their lands polluted by Old GM , Delphi non-union retirees, non-union workers at shuttered GM dealerships and, last but not least, the American taxpayers. The exclusive club does not include politically-favored US unionized labor or legal firms enriched by the GM bankruptcy process. And while it may be hard for Canadians to comprehend the hype about how great a job the Obama Administration did by putting GM through bankruptcy at a huge expense to taxpayers, maybe the fact that the Administration also is credited with assassinating Osama Bin Laden will be of some consolation.
Mark Modica is an NLPC Associate Fellow.
I owned one for about six months, my uncle gave it me when I turned 21, then I traded it in on 59 Chevy.
Really wish I had either one of those cars today.
However, I really loved my 56 VW Bug.
All the cars seem so ordinary these days (unless you have lots of $$$$$$$)
I couldn't agree more and believe that's exactly what GE is thinking.
The additional tasks will give workers that produce the low-selling Volt something to do, other than stay home on paid leave....WTF?
What is it with these f’ing unions? So the taxpayer is paying these guys to sit at home?
Nope, but I WANT one!!!!!
Thanks for the link.
Just what we need. More gimmicky muscle cars with spoilers and racing stripes. Why don’t they put a number on the side too. I was at the Chicago Auto Show this winter and I have to say these cars look like dinosaurs from a bygone era. While other companies are building sleek contemprary cars, GM seems stuck in the past. Perhaps on a whim some people buy these cars, but not the average consumer.
Dad and I were out yesterday. Settled all of the world's problems, along with discussing what a piece of junk these electric cars are.
My comment? "They'd be perfect in a retirement community. Use them to get back and forth to the club, to the golf course, get a few groceries, and so on."
Dad's response? "Your Grandfather used to use his Golf Cart for just those very things."
My first Car was a 55 Chevy 210 two door Wagon I bought for $100. I needed to put a new front end on it because it was in an accident. I bought the entire front end, (hood-fenders-grill) for $25.
A year later my Brother had a friend selling a 57 Chevy Coupe for $150. I went to look at it and the passenger side rear quarter panel was bashed in.
I looked at the guy and said, I can’t believe you’re trying to sell your Friend’s Brother (me) that piece of junk.
Hindsight is indeed 20/20. I don’t even want to think about the 69 Shelby Mustang I missed getting for $2,000...
“Other than the Vette the ‘57 Chevy was the nicest looking Chevy ever built, in my view.”
I just loved my 62 Belair ‘bubble top’ 327. Bought it new in 62.
The Canada plants were historically predicated on the Canadian dollar being cheap, well below par with the US dollar. Now that the US has depreciated (thanks Ben, Timmy, and Baraq) to below Canada, the Canadians are hosed.
Must be their plant for producing crappy cars.
You recall wrong. The 283 was the engine that the '57 chevy had, a great engine. The 327 came along a few years later.
Heck retro the 66 GTO. I’d buy one.
You’re correct...It was a 283 cubic inch. One was 220 hp and the other with dual quads was 270 hp.
“The 327 was quite an engine...”
It was very quick off the line and took on many heavier Impalas of the same year with comparable specs. BTW, my brother purchased a 57 Belair, in 57, when he got out of the service. I believe it was a 283, yellow with a white top and gold trim. It was quite a site. Used to love it when he took me to school.
Thanks for the ping, Hieronymus.
Canada Ping.
Again, another ally getting screwed by Obama!! If the private sector took over GM, I would think that Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac could be split into a new company -- while Chevy, Buick and Cadillac and GMC truck could be GM. I would have spun off Vette into 'BLUEGRASS MOTORS', because IMHO it is the only car GM build that I want.
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