Ford factory worker Dennis Mc Gee felt like he had “died and gone to heaven” when he received his first paycheque of $325 in 1978, but now Mc Gee and many other employees are saying goodbye to the company that has supported the economy of St. Thomas, Ontario for 44 years.
The final sedan came off the assembly line Thursday, leaving Mc Gee and around 1,100 remaining workers without jobs at a factory that once employed 3,600 people just ten years ago. The closure was initially announced in 2009 during a challenging time for the North American auto industry, but there was hope it might be avoided as bailout packages helped revive automakers during the recent recession.
A Brief Look at St. Thomas, Ont.
Founded in 1810, the city is named after Thomas Talbot, who played a significant role in developing this area during the early 19th century.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, several railways were built through St. Thomas, strategically located between Detroit and Buffalo, making it an essential railway hub.
By 1914, eight different railways were operating with over 100 trains passing through daily, earning it the title of Railway Capital of Canada. This history is celebrated today through the restoration of the original train station and Elgin County Railway Museum.
The railway also contributed to one tragic event when P. T. Barnum’s circus elephant Jumbo was killed by a locomotive on September 15, 1885. A life-sized statue was erected in his honor in St. Thomas in 1985.
During the decline of rail travel in the ’50s and ’60s, other industries began moving into town-especially automotive manufacturing-with companies like Magna, Ford and Sterling Trucks creating jobs that fueled economic growth for half a century.
Source: City of St. Thomas
Mc Gee still has dependents to support and is dealing with forced retirement as he watches the last sedan roll out of the massive factory where vehicles like Lincoln Town Cars and Crown Victorias have been produced.
“My first paycheque I had rent money – $195 plus I had about $130 left over – and I thought I’d died and gone to heaven,” he says. “I still got kids in university and I gotta figure out how I’m gonna pay for that.”
“It’s tough, it’s emotional; there’s a sense of numbness,” Mc Gee adds. “I met a lot of good people over the years and to see it shutting down breaks my heart; it really does.”
Heather Jackson Chapman, mayor of this community with about 35,000 residents, mentions that this plant closure isn’t just an isolated incident; many businesses are struggling here which means tough times ahead.
Over 3,000 manufacturing jobs have vanished over three years’ time leaving St. Thomas with one of Canada’s highest unemployment rates.
“We’re never going to see those large plants again employing thousands with high-paying jobs we became used to-it’s just our new reality.”
To assist affected Ford workers, both union representatives and Ford have developed compensation packages offering early retirements along with limited transfers available at other factories.
The nearly 800 remaining workers looking for new positions will receive severance packages alongside three years’ worth of job-search help through a center established by Canadian Auto Workers union representatives. A spokesperson from Ford stated that they remain committed to Ontario as they’ve recently invested in their engine facility in Windsor as well as their assembly plant located in Oakville.
Source link
