Temporary layoff at Lakeside Plastics due to GM strike

Layoffs at Lakeside Plastics due to GM strike Workers at an Oldcastle parts supplier are out of work due to the GM strike stateside. CTV Windsor's Michelle Maluske reports.

The strike against General Motors by 49,000 United Auto Workers is having an effect on more workers in Windsor-Essex.

CTV News has learned 110 employees at Lakeside Plastics in Oldcastle are off the job.

Unifor 195 president Emile Nabbout says there is no work for the employees because of the strike in the United States.

"There is no job, other than, about 10 service workers in the facility," says Nabbout.

Lakeside Plastics makes doors for General Motors.

Nabbout says the laid off workers will wait one week until they can go on Employment Insurance.

The layoffs are in addition to the 80 workers at Martin Transportation Systems (MTS) who were laid off within 24 hours of the GM strike in the U.S.

Nabbout also tells CTV Windsor other businesses like AGS Automotive Systems are taking advantage of the downtime and keeping employees at work.

"Continuous improvement, like you have a project, you put it on the shelf because you're too busy building the product so this an opportunity where you say, let's take advantage and let's make this project work for us," says Nabbout.

Unifor believes the GM strike would also have an impact at the Nemak plant, but work continues at the Windsor plant.

Unifor Local 200 President John D'Agnolo says production is behind schedule at Nemak due to the 13-day blockade earlier this month.

Mike Bilton, a director with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association (APMA), warns more workers could be laid off if the strike continues.

Bilton believes a contract is difficult to ink because the industry is influx due to the U.S trade war with China, autonomous vehicles and environmental standards.

"The traditional sense of the car is changing and what's that going to be in 10 years could change tomorrow," says Bilton. "It's just so volatile, there are just so many factors."

UAW members walked off the job early on Sept. 16, paralyzing production at about 30 manufacturing sites in nine states.

The strike against General Motors is the largest work stoppage in the U.S. auto industry in nearly 12-years.

Already the strike forced GM to shut down two Canadian factories that make engines, older-model pickup trucks and two car models. If the strike drags on much longer, GM likely will have to close more factories in Mexico and Canada because engines, transmissions and other components are built in the United States.

The two sides are far apart on the main issues of wages and health care benefits.