OCEU/CUPE 1750 Calls Out WSIB and Ford Government for Outsourcing to U.S. Company, Laying Off Ontario Workers
The workers provide essential support to Ontario's workplace safety system. The layoffs notices will take effect July 16, just one week after members returned to work following a legal strike.
'This government says it wants to protect Ontario jobs, but when it mattered, they sided with a U.S. multinational corporation over public service workers,' said Harry Goslin, president of OCEU/CUPE 1750. 'I spoke directly with Minister Piccini and urged him to intervene. Instead, he defended the outsourcing. That's unacceptable.'
Although Iron Mountain highlights its Canadian operations, it is a U.S.-based multinational corporation. Its Canadian division is a wholly owned subsidiary, not a public agency accountable to Ontarians. The WSIB's decision to contract out unionized public sector work to a private company sets a troubling precedent that puts corporate profit ahead of public service.
'This is how the WSIB responds after a difficult and historic strike — by cutting some of the lowest-paid workers with no explanation of how it will help injured Ontarians,' said Goslin. 'The WSIB is acting like a private insurance company, focused only on cost-cutting, when it was meant to be more than that.'
OCEU/CUPE 1750 has consistently signalled a willingness to work with WSIB leadership to avoid cuts. Despite this, and despite options for in-house solutions, the agency — with the Ford government's support — is threatening its first major layoffs in recent memory.
'Our members just walked back through the doors, and now they're being targeted again,' said Goslin. 'We are ready to work on real solutions. But if the WSIB goes through with this plan, we will fight to defend every one of these jobs.'
OCEU/CUPE 1750 remains committed to protecting public service workers, defending good jobs, and holding public agencies — and the governments behind them — accountable for decisions that hurt Ontario communities.
:am/COPE491
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Car companies are paying tariffs so you don't have to
'We haven't raised prices due to tariffs, and that's still our mantra,' Randy Parker, chief executive of Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America, said in an interview this month. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up That is good news for Trump and Republicans in Congress because it insulates them from the political consequences of higher sticker prices, which would also contribute to inflation. Advertisement Carmakers 'will try to hold prices and focus on cost reduction for as long as they can,' said Lenny LaRocca, a partner at KPMG who leads the consulting firm's work with the auto industry. But, LaRocca said, 'clearly it's not sustainable.' He predicted that automakers would start raising prices significantly early next year. No car company is immune. Even those that make most of their vehicles in the United States use imported parts that can amount to more than half the value of some cars. In recent weeks General Motors, Toyota, Ford Motor, Stellantis, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have all blamed tariffs for declines in profit. Advertisement Ford, which makes most of its cars in the United States, expects retail prices for its vehicles to rise just 1% this year, Sherry House, the chief financial officer, said last month during a conference call with reporters. Mercedes-Benz vehicles at the Port of Baltimore, where new vehicle imports are processed before distribution to dealerships. Stephanie Scarbrough/Associated Press But that's not because the tariffs aren't having an effect. Import duties subtracted $800 million from Ford's profit in the second quarter, leading to a slight loss for the period. For the whole year, Ford estimated that tariffs would cost the company $2 billion. General Motors, the largest U.S. carmaker, said last month that tariffs would cost the company as much as $5 billion for the full year, although it hoped to offset about a third of that amount by cutting costs and moving some manufacturing to the United States. Still, the company expects retail prices to rise 1% or less this year, Paul Jacobson, chief financial officer of GM, told investors last month. Toyota, which makes many cars in the United States but also imports them from Japan, Mexico and Canada, said Thursday that tariffs would cost it $9.5 billion. A day earlier, Honda pegged its tariff cost at $3 billion. Tariffs and sinking profits could make it harder for carmakers to do what Trump wants them to do -- relocate assembly lines to the United States from other countries. Companies will have less money to invest in new factories and equipment. The Trump administration maintains that deregulation, tax deductions for equipment purchasing and other measures will be positive for the industry. Advertisement 'Two things can be accomplished at once: We can lower costs for everyday Americans while restoring American auto dominance,' Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, said in an email. 'The administration is working closely with the auto industry to deliver on both fronts.' Car prices as measured by U.S. officials declined slightly in June, Desai pointed out, 'despite months of autos, auto parts, steel and aluminum tariffs being in place.' Workers gave final inspections to vehicles at a General Motors plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. BRETT CARLSEN/NYT Others see signs that prices are beginning to creep higher. Cox Automotive estimates that tariffs will add at least $5,000 to the cost of imported cars on an annual basis. Even for cars manufactured in the United States, tariffs on components add about $1,000, not including the 50% duties that Trump has imposed on imported steel and aluminum. By the end of the year, prices could be 8% higher, Cox says, pushing the average selling price of a new car above $50,000. Higher prices would fall hardest on less affluent consumers. Many of the least expensive cars are imported, like the Chevrolet Trax made in South Korea or the Nissan Versa made in Mexico. Some car buyers will be able to afford only used models. And higher demand for pre-owned vehicles will push up their prices, too. Adding to the pain, buyers of used cars often pay much higher interest on loans, which can exceed 20% for people with less-than-stellar credit records. The cost of repairs and parts will also rise. So far the price increases have been modest, said Michael Holmes, co-chief executive of Virginia Tire and Auto. The chain of auto repair and maintenance shops adds a tariff surcharge to prices to reflect the additional cost. That can range from 50 cents or so for an air filter to around $5 for a tire. Advertisement But the surcharges could rise depending on where tariffs on parts from Mexico and Canada end up, he said. His biggest problem, Holmes said, is staying abreast of shifting trade policy. 'You get exhausted trying to figure out where all these tariffs are,' he said. Trump policies have some financial benefits for carmakers. The Republican domestic policy bill passed last month eliminated penalties for violating clean air standards. That angered environmental groups but allows carmakers to build more big SUVs and pickups, which tend to have the highest profit margins. The end of those penalties has also freed established carmakers from having to buy clean air credits if they fall short of emissions targets. That will save GM and others hundreds of millions of dollars, but comes at the expense of companies that have lots of credits to sell, like Tesla and Rivian, because they make only electric vehicles that emit nothing from tailpipes. Car executives are hopeful that the Trump administration will take further steps to ease the impact of tariffs. 'We're having very constructive conversations with them to ensure a more level playing field,' House, the Ford chief financial officer, told reporters this month. But Trump continues to threaten substantial tariffs on Mexico and Canada and has yet to reach a permanent trade deal with either. Both countries are critical suppliers of vehicles and parts and are important destinations for parts and vehicles made in the United States. The policy bill also contained a measure designed to stimulate demand for cars. The provision lets taxpayers deduct from their taxes the interest they pay on loans used to buy cars assembled in the United States. But the value of the deduction will be relatively small, in the hundreds of dollars for most people. Advertisement 'We don't think it's really going to drive demand,' said Erin Keating, executive analyst at Cox Automotive. This article originally appeared in
Epoch Times
3 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Trump Admin Imposes Higher Tariffs on Canadian Lumber
The U.S. Department of Commerce has finalized its latest review of countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber, more than doubling the rate for most producers in a decision that drew criticism from Canadian officials and industry groups. The department said in an Aug. 8 release that its latest annual administrative review found that Canadian lumber was 'unfairly subsidized' at rates ranging from just over 12 percent to nearly 17 percent.
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
VW's Coupe-Styled EV Could Be Dead in Two Years
The first half of 2025 has been kind to Volkswagen's EVs, with the automaker seeing an increase of around 47 percent in sales. Despite that, the automaker is reportedly considering cutting one of its longer-running electric models due to unimpressive sales numbers. VW is reportedly looking to cut the ID.5 as soon as 2027, which would mark the seven-year point in its lifespan. The coupe-styled electric SUV never made it to the U.S., and in Europe, buyers have favored the larger, more practical ID.4. Volkswagen is not considering a follow-up for the ID.5. The ID.5 also forms the basis for the Ford Capri, which went on sale last year and immediately had its production numbers cut back due to "rapidly deteriorating market conditions for electric vehicles," according to a Ford spokesperson. Volkswagen combines ID.4 and ID.5 sales, so it can be difficult to get solid sales numbers. That said, the two combined to become VW's best-selling EVs in the first half of 2025, followed by the ID.3. Audi's Q4 e-tron variants landed in a distant third place. Volkswagen is targeting and discontinuing slower-selling models, starting with the Passat a few years back and the Arteon more recently. The newer ID. Buzz electric minivan was slated to replace the Touran in other countries, but those plans were ditched due to lackluster demand. Like others in the industry, the German automaker has been forced to adapt as buyers' on-again, off-again EV demand makes it difficult to plan. Volkswagen also has headaches in China, where buyers are shifting toward domestic brands in high numbers. The company has seen strikes and other challenges in its European workforce as it looks to cut costs, with the auto workers' union saying the company "set fire to our collective agreements." Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
