Essex MP Tracey Ramsey at the Labour Day Rally in Windsor, September 5, 2016. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle.)Essex MP Tracey Ramsey at the Labour Day Rally in Windsor, September 5, 2016. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle.)
Windsor

Ramsey accuses Liberals of giving up on GM Oshawa

Essex MP Tracey Ramsey says a meeting between officials from the Trudeau government and GM at the North American International Auto Show does not cut it.

Ramsey is accusing the Liberal government of giving up on the fight to save jobs at General Motors' plant in Oshawa.

She was in Oshawa on Thursday along with Unifor National President Jerry Dias and Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath to watch singer/songwriter Sting's special showing of "The Last Ship".

The play dramatizes the loss of the shipping industry in Sting's home town of Newcastle, England. The star brought cast members to Oshawa Thursday to perform in front of an audience of GM workers. Ramsey said Sting had a message for General Motors.

"His message is that you have a duty to support the community that has supported you," she said. "I think that's a very powerful message and it's certainly something that we agree with down in Windsor-Essex."

"This really is a fight for all auto workers and everyone who is connected to the manufacturing sector in Ontario," the former autoworker continued, remembering how she struggled when she was laid off years ago.

Ramsey said she and her colleagues continue to raise the closure in Ottawa, but "just like the Ford government, the Trudeau Liberals have essentially given up without even trying to fight. The best that they could offer was a conversation at the Detroit Auto show on the sidelines."

"This is not standing up for working people. This is not a serious attempt the situation and the provincial and federal government has just given up," said Ramsey. "They're not even trying to keep these jobs here in Oshawa."

Windsor West MP Brian Masse also introduced a motion to invite GM CEO Mary Barra to Ottawa to speak to a House committee. There has been no indication that she will accept the invitation.

-With files from Mark Brown.

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