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GM workers in Oshawa walk out in protest of plant closure

TORONTO/MONTREAL – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday expressed his "deep disappointment" in General Motors' decision to close its Oshawa plant, a move Canadian officials only learned about on Sunday and which led workers to walk off the job on Monday. GM said the closure affects a total of 2,973 assembly line jobs. GM's total employment in Canada is 8,150 direct jobs. Workers in the Unifor trade union walked out of the Oshawa plant "in protest," ahead of a meeting with GM about the announcement, a union spokeswoman said. "I've moved my family twice for this company and they do this to me," a tearful worker told CBC TV as he left the plant. Currently, the Oshawa plant builds the Cadillac XTS and Chevy Impala sedans. Under Unifor's four-year contract signed in 2016, GM must give the union a year's notice before closing the plant. The automaker intends to close the plant in December, 2019. A 2015 study commissioned by Unifor, which represents GM employees, estimated that shutting the plant would eliminate 4,100 direct jobs and reduce Ontario's gross domestic product by C$1.1 billion. But Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, said the move amounts to a breach of the automaker's contract with its employees. "We have a collective agreement that says they're not closing any of our facilities ... so we will do anything by any means to make sure that they live up to their word," Dias said at a news conference. Dias said the contract between Unifor and the company forbids GM from closing any of its Canadian plants during the contract period, which ends in September 2020. "They are not closing our damn plant without one hell of a fight." Canadian officials promised to aid auto workers affected by the 2019 closure, part of a wider restructuring by the automaker that will cut production of slow-selling models and slash its North American workforce. "I spoke with GM (CEO) Mary Barra to express my deep disappointment in the closure," Trudeau tweeted on Monday. "We'll do everything we can to help the families affected by this news get back on their feet." GM workers have been part of the heart and soul of Oshawa for generations - and we'll do everything we can to help the families affected by this news get back on their feet. Yesterday, I spoke with @GM's Mary Barra to express my deep disappointment in the closure.

Chevy to offer new Cruze as a hatchback in the US

Chevrolet plans to offer a five-door hatchback version of the new Cruze in the United States, according to the latest intel from Automotive News. In addition to the sedan form we're familiar with, the outgoing Cruze was offered as a hatchback in some markets overseas, but not in America – a decision which Mark Reuss, GM's EVP in charge of product development, characterized as "a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake." The new Chevy Cruze is set to debut later this week. Although the American automaker has yet to confirm which bodystyles will be offered where, AN reports that a five-door model was already shown to dealers at their national meeting in Las Vegas last week. AN points out that the Ford Focus with which the new Cruze will be contending is offered as both a sedan and hatchback in America, with the latter accounting for some 40 percent of sales.

Chevy: The Big Game

Chevrolet took an early lead for the 2015 Super Bowl advertising crown with its spot for the all-new, 4G LTE-capable Colorado pickup in a spot that simulated a problem with your TV. The stark, simple ad then states that if you're lucky enough to have an Internet-capable vehicle, like the new Colorado, you'd at least be able to stream the game. A clever, chuckle-inducing spot if there was one. Check out our full write up of the new, 2015 Colorado. Marketing/Advertising Chevrolet Truck Super Bowl Commercials Videos 2015 super bowl ad