General Motors is suspending production at its CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, laying off hundreds of workers in the process. Production is to resume in October, and then only at half-capacity.
“CAMI is making operational and employment adjustments to balance inventory and align production schedules with current demand. GM remains committed to the future of BrightDrop and the CAMI plant and will support employees through the transition.”
- GM Statement
The Unifor union says that layoffs will take effect as of this coming Monday, and that while some production will continue on into May, after that the plant will shut down until October.
“When production resumes in October, the plant will operate on a single shift for the foreseeable future — a reduction that is expected to result in the indefinite layoff of nearly 500 workers.”
- Unifor statement
Ingersoll Mayor Brian Petrie bemoaned this latest in a series of hard knocks that have hit the community in recent years, but he told the CBC that “We have the best workforce in the world. I know that's going to be successful in the long term. You can't move that, you can't take it anywhere else. It's here and it's been made a successful for over 100 years and will continue to do so.”