U of G vice-president (academic) Charlotte Yates, an automotive sector expert, spoke further on GM’s plans to shut down its manufacturing plant in Oshawa, Ont.  In recent weeks, Yates has been featured in numerous articles and broadcasts related to the company’s plans.

In a Canadian Press story published over the weekend on GlobalNews.ca, Yates said Unifor’s efforts to continue to apply pressure on GM are significant, given that the automaker’s move may signal a shift away from unionized to non-unionized workers.

Unifor’s fight has an added level of urgency, since the share of unionized autoworkers has been shrinking for the past two decades.

Yates is an expert on auto industry labour issues.