Ford under fire for pushing for extra EI benefits for GM Oshawa workers instead of fighting for jobs
(The Star Toronto Raptors)

Premier Doug Ford is under fire for pushing for extra unemployment insurance benefits instead of fighting for jobs as General Motors plans to shut its Oshawa auto assembly operations next year.“We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they get back on their feet,” Ford said Monday after the automaker officially announced that 2,600 workers will lose their paycheques next December.“We’re doing everything we can.”The pledge came after Ford had a telephone call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and asked for a five-week extension to jobless benefits and a more concerted push to get the Trump administration to drop punitive steel tariffs.Critics said they expected more from the new premier, who has been touting the “Open for Business” signs his Progressive Conservative government is erecting at border crossings but was blindsided by GM’s move.“I’ve never seen a government roll over so quickly and throw in the towel,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.Read more: Union vows ‘one hell of a fight’ after GM confirms Oshawa plant will halt productionOttawa looking at ‘all options’ as GM closes Oshawa plantA timeline of GM’s century of building cars in OshawaOpposition parties said Ontario needs a strategy to attract the auto industry jobs of the future building electric and autonomous vehicles amid fears what happened at GM Oshawa could hit other auto assembly plants in the province like Ford in Oakville and Chrysler in Windsor.“Gimmicks like signs on the edges of the highway ... that say we’re open for business, a lot of loud talk about reducing corporate taxes obviously is not the answer here,” Horwath added.“It’s a lot more complicated than that.”Jerry Dias, the president of the Unifor union representing autoworkers, said he was “shocked” that Ford appears resigned to the closure and is asking Trudeau to extend unemployment ...