CAW Manufacturing Matters - Kitchener - Waterloo Region meeting - March 30, 2007

Since 2000, the Kitchener-Waterloo region has lost 10 per cent of all manufacturing jobs, a total of 6,900 jobs have disappeared.

This means a loss of $358,000,000 in wages from the local economy each year.

Major plant closures and permanent lay-offs have become regular occurrences affecting large employers like Martinrea, Imperial Tobacco, NCR Canada, ABB, Tiger Brand Knitting and many others.

Manufacturing in the Kitchener-Waterloo area is very diverse and accounts for 31 per cent of the local economy --one in four people work in manufacturing in this region. The only other city in Canada with such a high manufacturing density is Windsor, Ontario.

Hardest hit have been the auto parts, textiles and furniture sectors.

Canada's manufacturing sector is in crisis. Across Canada, almost every other week another plant shuts its doors, files for bankruptcy or announces its intention to move operations out of the country.

Good manufacturing jobs are disappearing at an alarming rate and with them go opportunities for future generations and vibrant communities. To Canadians, good jobs matter -- manufacturing matters.

In response, the Canadian Auto Workers union is launching the 'Manufacturing Matters' campaign, highlighting the sweeping job losses, exploring the impact they have had on our communities and what we can do as citizens.

For more information and updates on the Manufacturing Matters campaign, visit:
www.caw.ca/campaigns&issues/ongoingc ampaigns/manu-job...

CAW Video News on Manufacturing Matters: www.caw.ca/news/videonews/recent/manu_cr isis.asp

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items are from 30 Mar 2007.