FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
MASSE DEMANDS ANSWERS FOR NEMAK WORKERS AND ON $3 MILLION IN FUNDING
(WINDSOR) Today, NDP Innovation, Science, Economic Development and Auto Critic, Brian Masse M.P. (Windsor West), sent a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains, demanding that the federal government step in and hold Nemak to account by respecting the contract they have with their workers effective until 2022, answer questions about the $3 million dollars given to the company and further step up and implement a National Automotive Policy to protect our workers from the continued job losses and plant closings in the industry.
“Enough is enough. The Minister has consistently said in Parliament that this Liberal Government stands with the auto workers of this nation. Well, everyday there’s fewer and fewer autoworkers and more and more plant closing announcements. Standing isn’t action. Working with them is and these workers need action now,” said Masse.
Masse visited the workers at the Nemak picket line this week where employees are all being let go for the slated plant closure two years earlier than promised. In the past four years, Nemak has received $1.5 million in a grant from the Government of Ontario, were offered $1.3 million in tax breaks from the City of Windsor, and $3 million from the federal government. They have posted revenues of $4.7 billion worldwide with a presence in four continents and, including Canada, 16 countries.
“Despite taking $3 million in taxpayer funding, Nemak is slated to close their doors two years earlier than the agreement with workers. Workers and Canadians should know if this company abandoning Canada means that they can just take the innovation funded by taxpayers here and create jobs with it in Mexico or their other plants across the world,” stated Masse. “Can we freeze the property or patents? Without answers from the Trudeau Liberals, we won’t know how this affects our local and national economy. What were the terms and conditions of the $3 million and are the Liberals okay with Nemak abandoning Canada with that innovation?” said Masse.
“A National Automotive Policy could have curbed the slated closures with clear guidelines on putting workers first,” stated Masse. “We cannot idle any longer. A plan focused on protecting the workers and plants that remain, a blueprint and regulations for future plant closings, a strategy to attract new investment for the future with innovative policies to compete globally, could have been completed, passed, and implemented. It has not, and this government is driving away the automotive industry in Canada,” he said.
“Last election Prime Minister Trudeau campaigned on transitioning away from manufacturing and his words have come full circle as workers continuously lose their jobs,” Masse stated.
A copy of Masse’s letter is attached. 190906 Letterhead Trudeau and Bains re NEMAK
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For more information contact: Moe Peer 519-982-8816