Chrysler reported cutting up to 2,000 jobs
TORONTO (CP) — The Chrysler Group will cut as many as 2,000 jobs in Canada, industry sources say.
The cuts represent about 20 per cent of the 10,000 jobs the Chrysler division of Daimler Chrysler AG is wiping out.
Chrysler is undergoing a downsizing similar to those undertaken by rivals Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp., the last of the Detroit Three to axe its North American operations.
The automaker will cut jobs in the Ontario cities of Windsor and Brampton, where some 11,500 people are employed.
Buzz Hargrove, president of the Canadian Auto Workers union, warned Tuesday there would be massive job cuts after he met with senior Chrysler brass.
“It’s beyond anything I ever imagined,” a subdued Hargrove said.
Hargrove, the head of one of Canada’s biggest labour unions, called on the Conservative government to help stop the bleeding in the auto industry.
Ottawa must reach new trade agreements with Asian countries to allow cars built in Canada to be sold in those nations. Hargrove said.
Hargrove says he will meet again today with Chrysler representatives to see what can be done to prevent the latest cuts.
However, he’s not optimistic, calling the situation "bleak."
Hargrove said he’s disappointed that Prime Minister Stephen Harper won’t meet with him, especially given the dire circumstances in Canada’s domestic auto sector.
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