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37 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,N ovem ber 29,2018 insidehalton.com #1 in the Area for SWIMWEAR BURL INGTON / LONDON / NIAGARA FALLS / S IMCOE / MytopdRAWER.coM 8102 New Styles Arriving All Season none in terms of the quality work they do. That, howev- er, was also true of the workers in Oshawa, he said. "I think we put some good language into our ne- gotiations with Ford that maintains our stability, but we are hoping beyond 2020 because we have bargained for the next generationfor the next generationf Edge and MKX as well," said Thomas. "Basically we are hoping Ford will honour that nego- tiation. Nothing is guaran- teed in life as you know, but I think they (Unifor Local 222 in Oshawa) negotiated some solid language too that certainly should have kept them afloat for the life of the contract. Now you've got people scrambling where they thought they had stability for four years and now that has been torn out from underneath them." Thomas noted the 2,500 Oshawa plant employees are not the only ones who will be affected by this plant closure. He said every plant job creates six or seven spinoff jobs for suppliers and other related services. "That has the potential there to just devastate that area," said Thomas. Oakville Chamber of Commerce president Drew Redden called GM's recent announcement disappoint- ing news for the auto indus- try in Ontario and across North America. He said while the deci- sion was a global one, it will have substantial impact on business throughout the province. Redden said the auto sec- tor in Oakville is important to the local economy and the chamber recognizes the significant benefits the local Ford Motor Company plant has brought to the commu- nity. "Ford is a major contrib- utor to our economy and a strong community part- ner," said Redden. "The Oakville chamber will continue to work with Ford and all levels of gov- ernment to ensure Oakville remains a competitive place to do business." Oakville MP John Oliver also said he was disappoint- ed by GM's decision and said his government stands ready to support the people and families impacted. He said he has also dis- cussed the issue with Thom- as and reiterated his sup- port. "As many in Oakville know, I chaired the automo- tive caucus for the past three years and have been deeply involved in this file. Since Day 1 we have taken steps to make Canada's au- tomotive manufacturing sector more globally com- petitive and innovative. More than $5.6 billion in au- tomotive sector invest- ments have been an- nounced in Canadian oper- ations since we formed gov- ernment, creating and maintaining tens of thou- sands of good, middle-class automotive jobs including here in Oakville," said Oli- ver. "In March 2017, with sup- port from the federal and provincial governments, Ford Motor Company of Canada announced more than $1 billion in invest- ments, including the estab- lishment of a new connect- ed vehicle research centre, and the creation and main- tenance of almost 800 jobs. I remain committed to sup- porting our automotive in- dustry across Ontario. We will work collaboratively with our partners to sup- port these workers during this difficult time." NEWS OAKVILLE MP JOHN OLIVER DISAPPOINTED BY GM'S DECISION Continued from page 29 THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: News that the GM plant in Oshawa would cease production in 2019 spurred the Beaver to reach out to officials here about the future of the Ford Assembly Plant in Oakville.