The next iteration of the Chevrolet Camaro won’t be built in Canada, as is the case with the current model, but at GM’s Lansing Grand River (LGR) Assembly Plant in Lansing, Michigan.
General Motors made the announcement today citing “lower capital investment and improved production efficiencies” as the key factors in its decision to shift production of the car back to the States.
“Assembling the next-generation Camaro at LGR consolidates the RWD assembly with the Cadillac CTS and ATS. As a result, GM will continue to deliver top-quality vehicles as efficiently as possible,” the Detroit carmaker said in a statement.
GM pointed out that the current, fifth-gen Camaro will continue to be assembled at its Oshawa, Ontario plant until the end of its current product lifecycle, adding that it has invested $185 million to support the launch of two new products on the flex line, the new Cadillac XTS and the 2014 Chevrolet Impala that’s scheduled for launch next year.
Naturally, GM’s decision didn’t sit well with the Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW), which issued a strongly-worded statement.
CAW said GM’s move will cut between one third and one quarter of production in Oshawa and will take place in late 2015, early 2016. The union said it is calling on General Motors to “replace the production on a one-to-one basis, ensuring that no jobs are lost”.
“General Motors has once again shown a complete and utter disregard for its workers and also Canadians in general, whose tax dollars kept the company out of bankruptcy,” said CAW National President Ken Lewenza.
“The timing of this announcement couldn’t possibly be any worse,” said CAW Local 222 President Chris Buckley. “Our members are now going into the holiday season wondering what will happen to them and if they’ll have jobs in the future. General Motors must now explain to our members and Canadian tax payers why they are pulling more production out of the country.”
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