Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 19, 1991, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canadian workers fear for future As pm slashes 21 jobs by Rob Ferguson Canadian press general motors workers stampeded through bitter cold to their cars yesterday after noon puzzled about their future de spite news the company plans to close 21 the Detroit based company announced it will close six vehicle As Sembly four Power train plants and 11 component plants in North America in the next four but there was no mention of plans for Gas 11 Ontario factories and one in Quebec As the company slashes jobs to Stem financial losses totalling in the billions of everybody is still very much in doubt about whats going said Walter a 10year employee with a wife and four children to but there were plenty of sushi we All figure its going to be us go ing Down in Plant two because we lost the Lumina and the Buick regal is said Tony a 14year vet eran of the factory that employs it is one of four in the massive pm Auto Lex that employs in this Small Industrial City East of pm has not slotted any products into Plant twos Assembly lines beyond the 1994 Model general the worlds big Gest has employees in Canada and is the country largest company in terms of annual its plants provide tens of thousands of spinoff jobs in the steel and Auto parts growing slice the sweeping restructuring comes As pm copes with a recession and cutthroat Competition from Japa Nese automakers like Toyota and which Are eating a growing slice of North americas car Market and leaving North american Carmak ers with More factories than they need to meet consumer at a Detroit news conference beamed by satellite to company plants around the pm chairman Robert Stempel said Gas two car Assembly plants in Oshawa Are in the fray along with White Collar office its going to be share the pain on both sides of the George president of pm added Little to Stempele an were in the process of evaluating and consolidating our plants Are part of he told a crowded news conference at company Headquarters in Hob president of the Cana Dian Auto workers said its impossible for pm to take such drastic Steps without significant Impact on Canadian which ship most of their products to the United White criticized the timing of the announcement because it creates a terrible uncertainty for workers and their families Over its it would have been better for pm to make a firm Deci Sion and then announce to the work ers which plants Are in pm spokesman Stew Low said workers wont know the Fate of their plants until sometime next both White and Peapples said talks aimed at getting More flexible Over time rules at the Oshawa plants will continue today in Hopes of Persuad ing Detroit Headquarters that production now 10 per cent below tar get can be Premier Hob Rae said pm plants in the province will have to try to per Suade the company they can do the Job better than anyone Oshawa Plant two which loses production of Chevrolet Lumina to a factory in 1994 is vulnerable to said Bill a car Industry analyst familiar with Gas Canadian opera the factory is at the top of our list because of Gas strategy to consolidate production of midsize cars like the Lumina and regal in the added president of Auto facts in West elsewhere in pm builds engines at two plants in Ca transmissions and trim in vans in Toronto at a Plant slated to close in vehicles in and is retooling to produce a new line of Chevrolet Samaros and Pontiac firebirds in Caw chief vows to lobby hard to protect Canadian Jobi by Michael Smyth Canadian press Toronto Bob White pledged yesterday to do everything possible to protect the jobs of general motors workers in but the Union chief said that wont involve a Cross order Battle with his Ameri can president of the Canadian Auto was responding to Gas announcement that it will close 21 plants in Canada and the United states Over the next four Cut Ting at least jobs or about a fifth of the company pm Hast yet decided which plants will though company chairman Robert Stempel warned that Canadian workers will share the pain of the White said he plans to meet with company executives in the coming weeks to emphasize some of the com pm financial glance net earnings and Revenue for general motors for the last ten As listed in Gas 1990 annual net income or loss figures Are before payment of common Stock i net sales and Revenue q net income or loss in billions of dollars 1990 1983 1982 1981 a cuts just the latest in series of pm moves to bring costs in line associated press new York analysts and other business experts said yesterday that general motors cos cutting plan appeared to be the right but some wondered whether the car maker went far mex pressed concern that their plants May be among the 21 to be since the company released few de tails of the and the United Auto workers Union blasted the plan As self de latest step analyst Scott Sprinzen of Standard and poors a major credit rat ing said the announcement of Plant closings and deep Job cuts shows that management is trying very hard to do what is he they have launched other sweeping cos cutting pro Grams in the past which proved not to be this plan is predicated on their ability to hold the existing Market share and for that Market share to be priced in a Way that will be profitable for Sprinzen there whether or not they Are valid ones remains to be Stock analysts said the Market anticipated Gas its really old news to Wall said Hugh senior Vic president of first Albany Gas which has declined about a share in the last closed Down 12vz cents at on the new York Stock As investors apparently did not believe Gas revamping would boost profits anytime billionaire Ross a one time director and sometime critic of said the company was on the right course and blamed its problems on the there doing tremendous things but nobody is buying he i know it Breaks their hearts to have to do but they have no they Are facing analyst Mike Mulvaney of Moodys investors service said the plan carried risks what does it do in terms of employee relations what Are the issues in terms of their manufacturing ability both Moodys and Standard and poors Are examining their ratings of Gas debt for possible neither took any action senator Donald Riegle described the pm announcement As a symptom of an economic Pearl he said the billion Trade deficit with Japan was the big Gest reason for the Domestic Auto Industry the United Auto workers said Gas plan would have the opposite effect from what was both in the Long and the Short strategies which close reduce employment and curtail Capi Tal spending Are self defeating in that they further undermine the already weakened Middle class base of americas consume driven econ Law president Owen Bieber and Vic president Stephen Yokich said in a by capitulating to Wall streets shortsighted and greedy marching general motors has chosen just such a self defeating the statement at pm workers watched a close circuit to address by chair Man Robert Stempel and worried whether they would soon be joining unemployment meeting subdued it was the quietest meeting i have Ever been said John i 435 chairman at Gas Wilming at the Plant which pm said had a 5050 Chance of closing workers were especially were just holding our said George who has worked at the Plant seven you just have to look for another it reaches Down to every Nook and cranny in your Ufa pet Tive advantages enjoyed by the Canadian plants in an attempt to stave off closures in but he denied such a strategy was a veiled threat to american Mem represented by the United Auto the giant Union White broke away from in the mid Auto Industry analyst Bill Pociluk said yesterday the Law has been heavily lobbying pm to extend a significant proportion of cuts to Cana Dian the level of Competition Between the Caw and the Law exceeds that Between pm and he said in an the Law has lobbied very hard to have Canada share in More of the but White said he Hopes pm will look seriously at labor costs and productivity and Quality Levels at its Ca Nadian pm has a labor Cost advantage in Canada and we intend to emphasize workers leaving Oshawa Plant held out Little Hope Azare diamonds Christmas lights Puri to girl the warm glow of Christmas is embodied year round in the lire that radiates from each sparkling facet o an Ideal Cut Lazare scientific technology combined with master craftsmanship create the dazzling brilliance of the one gift so flawless in so faultless in that it can truly be said to be 2 Tewe Flos 1795 Henderson 6696633 weekdays till 9 493 notre Dame 7755544 weekdays till 9 careers looking for a better Job careers every Winnipeg free press for Home delivery 6977001 financing or 1500 Cash rebate 1992 Dodge spirit 5 Only lilt Speed rear cloth 1992 Dodge Shadow 6 Only cloth 1992 Dodge caravan 5 Only air 7 Luggage rack hurry Sale ends hurry new hours 99 96 dealer retains Dodge Chrysler 300 Pembina 2846650 Block South of interchange a message from the parliament of Canada the parliament of Canada has established a special joint committee of the Senate and the House of commons to report by february 1992 on the Federal govern ments proposals for a renewed submissions on these proposals Are they can be in the form of a Short letter or a Multi Page Brief prepared in either official in the Case of Long a summary of the Brief would be All submissions will be considered by members of the they should be received by january 1992 for timely submissions should be sent to the special joint committee on a renewed parliament of Ontario k1a oa6 or by fax 613 9432196 for further phone 613 9432233 ;