Auto Workers Ordered To End General Motors Blockade

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Ontario Superior Court Judge David Salmers has ordered that the CAW blockade of the GM plant in Oshawa must end by Monday. The judge also took GM to task stating that the company a acted deceitfully in announcing the closure of a truck plant in Oshawa by the end of 2009 just three weeks after reaching a collective bargaining agreement with the CAW.

The union had until 7 a.m. Monday to vacate the area in front of GM Canada's headquarters.

The protest began on June 4, the day after the company announced it was closing the truck plant, putting 2,600 people out of work.

The company filed an injunction request Thursday making the argument that the protest is keeping 900 people away from work and hampering day-to-day operations.

Sean Dewart, lead counsel for the CAW, said, "General Motors has engaged in deceitful business practices and has asked for the court's assistance when it has very dirty hands."

He added that the judge agreed that "the lawful and peaceful protest had been caused by General Motors' actions."

Chris Buckley, president of CAW Local 222, has stated that the blockade will end by the deadline but that the protest will continue over the weekend.

"As of 7 a.m. Monday morning, General Motors can have their building back, and not until," Buckley said Friday after the ruling. "I'm more than satisfied with the judge's decision."

GM Canada is "pleased that our employees are to regain access to our headquarters building on Monday."

"With this we continue to encourage the CAW to sit down with us to focus on more productive matters and hope this will allow us to discuss potential creative alternatives such as steps to assist impacted employees," the statement said. "We also wish to work together toward potential new product investments for the Oshawa car plant."


The company has said that higher gas prices and steep declines in truck sales are forcing the plant closure. U.S. truck sales in May were down 39 per cent from the same time in 2007.

In May, GM concluded a collective agreement with the CAW which was aimed at saving jobs at plants in Ontario.

CAW president Buzz Hargrove said GM is violating the agreement by closing the Oshawa plant, on the other hand, GM argues that there are clauses in the deal that allow the plant to shut down.