Letter to the Editor; Re, Former Goodyear Plant to Close

Feb. 1st, 2012
Letter to the Editor; Re, Former Goodyear Plant to Close


Black Lawson Kennedy, Russell Brothers, PPG, Bell Canada Operator Services and now Veyance Technologies (former Goodyear plant) and manufacturer’s too many to name have left Owen Sound or downsized over the years since the early eighties. This does not begin to identify the list of other manufacturing sector jobs and / or well paying public service sector jobs that have left the entire Grey Bruce region since the same time period.

The three conservative horsemen of economic destruction (Mulroney, Regan and Thatcher) ushered in the era of free trade and deregulation and three decades later the conservative mantra set out in those days continues to manifest itself in more an more jobs disappearing across Owen Sound, our region and Canada; millions to be more precise. What troubles progressive people such as Trade Unionists is that 30 some years later and with countless friends and families destroyed or forever financially crippled by job loss that is directly tied to neo conservative legislative policy is why there is one vote cast for the candidates that represent the parties that have legislated into existence the polices and deregulation that facilitate the very loss of this base of work for the working class and the source of middle class and community prosperity.

As we discover more about this latest closure let us not forget that these closures have been underwritten and empowered by neo conservative policy since the 1980’s and if there is one thing we can learn is that unless candidates arrive with progressive platforms, manufacturing jobs strategies and support for public services it is time to unelect the purveyors of economic destruction that are dressed in blue and sometimes red.

Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council