Auto workers occupy Scarborough plant

[CHIMO]

Source: Canadian Press

Disgruntled auto workers occupied a plant in Scarborough today and say they won’t leave until the company agrees to pay severance to 200 laid off workers.
Doors were barricaded and about 100 workers inside were preventing production at the Collins & Aikman plant, which is scheduled to close at the end of July.

Bob Chernecki, assistant to the Canadian Auto Workers’ president, said the company told them the U.S. operations are refusing to release the money for severance.

Collins & Aikman, which manufactures automotive floor and acoustic systems as well as cockpit modules, filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. in May, 2005.


About CAW members are blocking access to the Collins & Aikman plant on Milner Rd. in Scarborough, which is scheduled to close at the end of July.

Read more: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/198138

[Possumpoint]

1. Hate To Tell You,

if I was management and had already filed for bankruptcy in 2005 and the plant scheduled for permanent closure in 4 months, I'd close the doors permanently now. I'd ask the police to empty the building so the machinery cold be sold and removed. The union members need to file in court not lock down the building.

[Solo_in_MD]

2. That is WAAAAY to sensible

[CHIMO]

3. One Would Think

That that would be the accepted way to address the issue.

Guess that they think they are executives back in the "Roaring Nineties".

[azmesa207]

4. File in court

After a company file for bankruptcy a Union has no chance of winning a suit
They will be laugh out of court and management will run off with the pension money .

[heliarc]

5. Yeah, but when the DA's across the country

can be terminated for no reason when prosecuting cases like this... well don't know that you can trust the case to even see a day in court. Go Union.

[Possumpoint]

6. Pay Attention,

the plant's in Canada. Don't know a lot about the laws up there but being pro union is great until the plant closes its doors forever. You don't want a union action to hasten that day.

[unkachuck]

7. excellent....

....if a company is going to close, they will close whether you 'co-operate' or not...it's time Unions in North America get back to their fighting spirit of the '30s and '40s....

....if I lived near by, I'd bring you guys a couple of cases of beer....hang in there....

[gizmo1979]

8. That's the spirirt!

If you get rid of unions we'll all be working for peanuts.What's so wrong about an honest days wages for an honest days work?Look to Circuit City to see what a no union world would look like.Not very pretty is it?

[PittPoliSci]

9. right on!

i'm with you 100% on this one.

[CHIMO]

10. Workers end occupation

A two-day occupation of an auto parts plant by workers in suburban Scarborough ended today when union negotiators received assurances that they would get some of their severance pay.

But DaimlerChrysler, not parts maker Collins & Aikman, will be paying most of the money and General Motors and Ford will also have to contribute cash to avoid further assembly plant disruptions, a union official said tonight.

"If they don't come up with the money there will be interruptions at GM and Ford," said Brian Stevens, a senior union staff representative for the Canadian Auto Workers.

Workers seized the Scarborough plant late Friday after a Collins & Aikman official at headquarters in Southfield, Mich. told the union it had no intention of paying about $6 million in severance pay and temporary benefits when the operation closes in early summer.

http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/198353

A pawn for your pawn!
Keeping up the pressure.

[Canuckistanian]

11. Where is Buzz Hargrove on this?

Why was Bob Chernicki sent out as the point man for the union?

[CHIMO]

12. Buzz Isn't Mentioned

In the articles. But this mornings' update on the article seems to indicate that the workers were some mighty teed off.

http://www.thestar.com/article/198221