ZCZC
BCN-05
CANADA-US-ECONOMY-AUTOMOBILE
Trudeau, Trump share ‘disappointment’ over GM plant closures
OTTAWA, Nov 28, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and
US President Donald Trump found common ground during a phone call Tuesday in
which they discussed the announced closure of General Motors plants.
“They expressed their disappointment over the closures of the GM plants in
Canada and the US” and “underscored their concern for the workers, their
families and the communities that are affected by this decision,” Trudeau
spokesman Cameron Ahmad said.
The White House confirmed the call and used similar language, saying: “The
two leaders discussed their disappointment in the announced closures of
General Motors plants in their respective countries and their plans for the
upcoming G20 Summit.”
Trudeau and Trump — who have been at loggerheads for months — are
expected to meet at the G20 summit in Argentina at the end of the week.
On Monday, General Motors announced it was cutting 15 percent of its
workforce and closing plants in both countries to save $6 billion.
The decision drew sharp criticism from the US and Canadian labor unions
representing GM workers. The union heads are scheduled to meet in Washington
on Wednesday to map out a joint strategy to try to force GM to reverse
course.
Jerry Dias, head of Unifor which represents the 2,500 Canadian workers
that will find themselves out of work at the end of 2019 when GM shutters its
Oshawa plant, met earlier with Trudeau.
“We are at crossroads,” he said. “The reality is GM is on the cusp of
complete disinvestment in Canada, and that will lead to a catastrophic end to
Canada’s most lucrative export industry.”
BSS/AFP/HR/0910