Electro-Motive Canada (EMC) has handed out severance packages to some non-unionized workers at the Oxford Street plant.
Fleishman-Hillard, a public relations firm representing Caterpillar, a subsidiary group of EMC, issued a news release Sunday (Jan. 9) about the layoffs.
“EMC has made an adjustment in the salaried workforce at its London plant, in keeping with the facility’s needs,” the statement said. “The fewer than 20 operational and administrative workers involved will receive separation payments that are commensurate with their length of service, as well as benefits.”
Tim Carrie, president of Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW) Local 27, said people shouldn’t look at the worker buyouts as a defeat to the union’s fight for a better contract.
“We’ll still be out there everyday,” Carrie said.
The CAW president added he doesn’t think the severance packages solidify suspicions that Caterpillar might shut down production in London and move work to Indiana, stating around 200 non-unionized staff work at the facility.
Last year, Caterpillar’s rail division opened an assembly plant in Muncie, Indiana, paying as little as $12-14 per hour — approximately one-third the wages paid to London workers and a few dollars less than Caterpillar’s final offer to CAW.
I am writing with regard to the locked-out of workers at Caterpillar’s Electro-Motive plant.
The loss of so many good paying jobs does not only hurt the employees; it also hurts their families, the community, and the economy. No-one benefits from these actions except for the corporate directors and shareholders. In reality, it will hurt most of us because if Caterpillar Inc. is successful, other corporations will follow its lead. My job, or your job, may be targeted next.
It will be very difficult for the workers at the Electro-Motive plant to win this fight on their own. With billions of dollars in profits, Caterpillar Inc. is well positioned to break the union and destroy the lives of its workers. The Electro-Motive plant workers need our help.
Concerned citizen can help by boycotting Caterpillar Inc. Protestors can picket Caterpillar dealers. Unionized workers can refuse to operate Caterpillar equipment. Managers can decide to purchase or lease equipment from other companies. The outrageous actions of Caterpillar Inc. have to become a public relations disaster for the company.
It is time to Occupy Caterpillar!
I must, unfortunately, remain anonymous.