Navistar’s Chatham truck plant idles as remaining workers laid off

Avatar photo

CHATHAM, Ont. — Workers at Navistar’s Chatham truck plant have rejected the company’s latest offer and the plant now sits idle, according to the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union.

 

“We cannot expect our members to accept a contract that will eliminate their jobs and devastate their already hard hit community,” said CAW President Ken Lewenza. “We need a real commitment from the company on the future of this plant. So far, what we’ve seen from Navistar only include eliminating hundreds of jobs and moving production out of the country to the United States and Mexico.”

 

Workers at the plant no longer have a contract, and the remaining 350 workers have now been laid off. About 800 workers at the plant were already laid off, prior to the expiration of the agreement June 30.

 

“This plant is still in business today because of the generous injection more than $60 million several years ago by the federal and provincial governments, Navistar must be mandated to continue production here in a meaningful way,” said Lewenza.

 

“The federal government, including Chatham-Kent Essex MP Dave Van Kesteren, must act to ensure that these monies will not be wasted by Navistar moving most of its current production out of the country. If Navistar is going to continue to sell trucks in Canada, they must also be forced to continue build them here and keep Canadians working.”

Avatar photo

Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry.


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*