Navistar workers and CAW Local 127 members rallied on Monday June 28 at the Chatham-Kent Council Meeting - Aaron Hall Photo
More than 150 CAW Local 127 members and workers at the idle Navistar plant in Chatham took to the streets on Monday (June 28) to voice their concerns.
The group marched from the CAW Hall in Chatham down to the Civic Centre, where Local 127 President Aaron Neaves provided a presentation to Chatham-Kent Council.
Watch Neaves in this video, prior to the presentation.
During his presentation, which left the Council Chambers with standing-room-only seating, Neaves pointed out the “economic and community impact” the Navistar International Truck Plant has on Chatham-Kent.
“It is no accident that the sudden and dramatic downturn at Navistar coincides with Chatham-Kent’s devastating 13 per cent unemployment rate, now the highest in the province,” Neaves said during his presentation. “Good jobs not only support the workers and their families, but also produce far-reaching benefits for citizens of the Chatham-Kent region and the broader economy.”
Neaves said the CAW feels optimistic that the heavy-duty truck manufacturing industry is due for an upswing in 2011.
“Freight Transportation Research Associates are currently forecasting an increase of 50 per cent in heavy-duty truck sales in 2011 and further increases beyond, bringing the heavy-duty truck market back to more historic levels.,” Neaves said. “There is not one Ward in Chatham-Kent that isn’t affected by the Navistar closure… this is not a union issue anymore, it’s a community issue.”
Neaves, and other CAW representatives, asked for the support of Chatham-Kent Council and requested that they do everything they can to bring Navistar officials to the bargaining table.
Wallaceburg Counc. Tom McGregor entered a successful motion to have the Mayor deliver a message to the Premier of Ontario, the Federal Government and to Navistar officials to explain the importance of the Navistar facility to Chatham-Kent, and manufacturing overall.
“It has an affect on the social fabric,” McGregor said of the idle plant. “It has an affect on families.”
Chatham Counc. Doug Sulman said the Navistar plant is a staple in the C-K community, adding that he paid for his education by working at the International facility.
“I doubt there is any disagreement about the value of International to the community,” he said.
East Kent Counc. Steve Pinsonneault that each community in Chatham-Kent has employees at Navistar.
“As leaders, I think we need to do everything we can,” he said. “This is devastating to our community.”
After a question from West Kent Counc. Brian King, CAW officials at the meeting said that after “a few weeks” of maintenance at the plant, the facility could be fired back up, and producing trucks.
“This makes our pitch even stronger,” King said.
Chatham Counc. Don Clarke said the large Navistar site and facility needs to be utilized in some capacity – noting that green or alternative energy opportunities could be an option.
East Kent Counc. Jim Brown requested that updates on Chatham-Kent’s progress with lobbying with Navistar and the higher levels of government be given to Council in 30, 60 and 90 days time.
“Just so we know what’s going on… so this doesn’t get lost,” he said.
South Kent Counc. Karen Herman said everyone involved locally needs t work together as a team.
“Chatham-Kent is for business,” she said. “The union has gotten a bad wrap in the past… but I think that myth has failed. We’re doing this as a Council team and with the union as well.”
Neaves added that the last round of Employment Insurance cheques for Navistar employees gets handed out in March 2011, with several employees getting their final cheques leading up to that time.
“We do have to save this facility,” Neaves said. “We’re not going to give up.”
Mayor Randy Hope said that face-to-face meetings with government officials would be helpful, and he added that the message will be sent out to everyone, including Navistar officials.
Council voted unanimously in support of lobbying in support of the Navistar workers.
Rob
Brian Cleeve
Aaron Hall
Michael Cowtan
Jay Smith
CKDP Staff
Greg Hetherington
Marlee Robinson
Chris Prince
The CAW and the workers needs to face reality.
Unfortunately the supply chain for the trucking industry has changed dramatically since the last contract. Most suppliers are now located in the Southern States and with the increase in gasoline prices its become very expensive to ship parts to Canada. This is why the company wants to build and trim the cabs in Mexico and ship the fully-trimmed cab to Chatham to dramatically reduce the cost of shipping an untrimmed cab and interior trim parts on different trucks. Unfortunately, the cab paint and trim line at the Chatham plant is where the majority of the workers left in Chatham are. This explains the 100 workers that will be left if the plant were to reopen.
In addition, the Canadian dollar is much higher now than the 85 cents it was during the last contract. Between the higher dollar and the higher shipping costs, all the concessions the CAW gave during the last contract has evaporated and the Chatham plant is no longer viable for the company as it currently is.
Here’s an idea for the workers. You, the workers, probably do not need to give up anything in relation to compensation. The CAW collects the top two hours of your paycheck each week for union dues. Its time the workers demand the union take the hit instead of coasting on the backs of labour while people like Ken Lewenza and Aaron Neaves make the big bucks. The workers should demand that at least one of these hours of union dues be given back to the company to help pay for the higher transportation costs and offset the higher dollar to save more than the 100 jobs that are otherwise going to be saved. Heck, vote the union out completely and give all the money raised for union dues to the company and everyone’s job will probably be saved.
One more point, although Navistar received government money six years ago, the company never used all of it. What money they did use was paid back. So the government and the union can’t really hold that over the company’s head anymore.
Not that bad of an idea. But, do you think the union would ever go for such a plan? I would doubt it!
“We do have to save this facility,” Neaves said. “We’re not going to give up.”
Okay so the company wants to employ approx. 100 people at the facility, what’s wrong with that? It’s about 100 more than are there now.
Also if memory serves me correctly back when the assistance was given to Navistar, then-mayor Gagner and municipal officials attempted to help out and were told by the CAW to butt out!! What’s so different now?
Some of that money also went to a tech facility in Windsor which hired retired Navistar employees to work there instead of providing jobs in Chatham or to laid off Navistar workers..I didn’t hear a peep from Neaves then.
another suggestion, why doesn’t the union buy the plant from International/Navistar and run it themselves. Then they can seek out all the markets they want and hire as many as necessary to fill the orders. That’s how capitalism works.
Call Navistar’s bluff. Take the 100 jobs and begin negotiating. Who knows.
To the comments above. Did you even read the article above? Did you understand the economic impact on Chatham-Kent? Loss of Manufacturing in Chatham-Kent is hurting you, Don’t you care? If you are working, what are you going to do when your job is gone, and your E.I. runs out and no one supports you. some of the info in the comments are incorrect and unrealistic.
Actually all comments are correct if you did some actual research into the matter, instead of listening to Aaron Neaves, who are just looking after their own vested interests.
As for understanding the economic impact on the community. Of course we understand and care. I’ve already lost the plant I worked at thanks to the CAW and my EI ran out a long time ago. The difference between the other commentors and yourself is we are using more common sense and understanding the environment the Canadian manufacturing industry faces. Canada is not immune to this reality and must work within it and adapt to it if manufacturing is to continue in a knowledge-based Canadian economy. Canada is too small a market to manufacture everything we consume, although the CAW’s comments lately seem to suggest otherwise.
Navistar workers at least have the option to go get their plant reopen and at least have a job (even if it is at a lower wage). Even this would have a significant impact on improving CK’s economy. A lot of other people in the community aren’t as lucky right now to have this option. Furthermore, although Navistar only wants about 100 workers in the plant, no one is saying that it will always be this way. Who’s to say that in a couple of years as their order board improves that more workers wouldn’t be hired at the plant. The CAW fails to see this, and wants all or nothing. In the meantime, their are 100 fewer workers that could be contributing to CK’s economy. So, reader, who of us really cares about CK’s economy?
I’m sorry your plant closed and you were out of work, I sincerely hope you have found some work and your losses weren’t too great. You are obviously very bitter towards Arron Neaves and the CAW. I’m not going to get into a battle with you by pointing out all your incorrect data, I could only hope you would channel your energies to helping Chatham-Kent
Actually, I’m curious to know what data you think is incorrect and what your sources are for this information.
Are you denying the higher Canadian dollar? Are you denying that most of Navistar’s major suppliers have moved and are located in the Southern U.S. and Mexico and that shipping costs for parts have increased as a result of these moves and higher gas prices? Are you denying the company has not paid back the government what is owed and lived up to its obligations to their loan agreement? What exactly is incorrect reader?
Like I said, I feel sorry for you. And even more so for your followers on this post that believe everything you say. I likely won’t take the time to check back on this post so go ahead say how you really feel and get it off your chest. (Then do some more research learn all the truth, and I don’t mean reading media reports) I really do hope you have a great life
Reader, I actually feel sorry for you because you live in this delusional little world where you hang on every word the union tells you.
My research isn’t just from media reports either. I’ve seen the official documents. I’ve talked to government officials that dealt directly with the government programs Navistar tapped into, as well as Dave Boland, former plant manager of the Chatham plant that got the loans in the first place and dealt with all the paper work involved. He’s also the guy that saved the plant the last time, it wasn’t the CAW, and even most of the workers at Navistar will admit that. I’m confident the info I’ve gotten is pretty reliable.
If you had any research that contradicted what I have laid out here you would present it if you were so interested in the truth. The fact you don’t shows you have none and know nothing.