Mass protest in Canada over loss of Mfg.The rapid and substantial loss of manufacturing jobs is creating a popular uprising in Canada. On Sunday, May 27, an estimated 38,000 people demonstrated the loss of jobs at the Ford Test Track in Windsor, Ontario Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and lies at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Windsor is located directly south of Detroit and is separated from that city by the Detroit River. The city has views of the Detroit skyline. , Canada. The event, organized by the Canadian Auto Workers The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW; formally the National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada) is one of Canada's largest and highest profile trade unions. union, was in response to the 250,000 manufacturing jobs lost in Canada in the past four years, or about 150 jobs per day. "This can't go on," declared the union. "Members of our communities must get involved in pressuring the federal government to change their trade policies and save Canadian manufacturing jobs." The protest, called "Our Jobs, Our Community, Our Future," was one of the largest ever in Windsor. The loss of so many high-paying jobs to foreign imports flooding the Canadian market represents an economic "crisis," says Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union president Buzz Hargrove Basil Eldon "Buzz" Hargrove (born March 8, 1944, Bath, New Brunswick, Canada) is the current National President of the Canadian Auto Workers trade union. He succeeded Bob White as president of the CAW in 1992. . "Almost every week another Canadian plant shuts its doors, files for bankruptcy or announces its intention to move its operations out of the country and the [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper government has done nothing to stop this hemorrhaging. In fact, it is exasperating the situation with a high Canadian dollar Noun 1. Canadian dollar - the basic unit of money in Canada; "the Canadian dollar has the image of loon on one side of the coin" loonie dollar - the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents and support for unfair trade deals. The clear message to Canadian workers is that the government simply does not care." Ken Lewenza, president of CAW Local 444, "led the charge, jumping up and down and pumping his fist into the air to motivate the crowd, which filled the air with an upbeat and electric mood," according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. an account in the May 28 Canadian National Post. "Every Windsor politician participated, as did many from the county, including all city councillors and Mayor Eddie Francis Eddie Francis (born May, 1974) is the current mayor of Windsor, Ontario. When he was born, his family had just arrived from Lebanon. The mayor speaks fluent English and Arabic. . Liberal MPPs Sandra Pupatello Sandra Pupatello (born October 6, 1962) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1995 as a member of the Ontario Liberal Party, and is currently the Minister of Economic Development and Trade and Minister Responsible for and Dwight Duncan, both cabinet ministers, showed up to lead separate groups in the march." Members of Canada's United Steelworkers union protested in 10 Ontario cities during the week of May 21. Its members "are frustrated [and] are getting angry," said Wayne Fraser, director of the union. "The province this summer is going to be in chaos." |
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