Every day in 2003, Windsor's auto workers:
Made in Canada?
He started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) for 6 a.m.
While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG).
He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA)
After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA) he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much he could spend today.
After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA) he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY) and continued his search for a good paying CANADIAN JOB.
At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day, Joe decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL) poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on his TV!
(MADE IN INDONESIA), and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in CANADA.....
- built 808 vehicles
- built over 5,000 engines
- built 2,700 transmissions
- produced $63 million worth of products
- earned $4.4 million
- paid $1.2 million in income and municipal taxes
The Industry
Windsor has the highest auto industry concentration in Canada with a vehicle assembly plant, 1 major engine operation, foundry and casting, a major transmission plant and more than 50 other independent auto parts facilities.
Major employers in the region: DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Lear Corporation, Magna, Siemens, National Auto Radiator, Butcher Engineering, Fasco, Veltri Stamping, A.G. Simpson and Kautex.
Vehicles assembled in Windsor: Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country, and Pacifica.
295,000 vehicles were built in Windsor in 2003 (or 808 a day). Windsor also builds more than 2 million engines per year (4,100 a day), and 1 million transmissions per year (2,700 a day).
The industry produced vehicles and parts worth an incredible $23 billion in Windsor in 2003, or $63 million a day.
Jobs and the Local Economy
The auto assembly and parts industries directly employ 26,200 people in the Windsor metropolitan area. This represents 16% of the 161,000 jobs in the region, or more than 1 out of every 6 jobs.
On top of this, thousands more jobs are created to supply the auto industry: jobs in steel, plastics and other manufacturing and services. More jobs are created by the spending power of auto workers' paycheques. The major auto assembly and original equipment manufacturing jobs in Windsor stimulate an estimated 116,000 other jobs throughout the local economy.
Including the spin-off jobs in Windsor, the auto industry accounts for 73% of total employment in the region.
Auto workers' paycheques pumped $1.6 billion into the Windsor economy in 2001, or $4.4 million every day.
Supporting our Community
The auto industry and auto parts support services that everyone depends on, like health care and education, as well as a host of community organizations such as United Way, foodbanks and women's shelters. General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler alone (excluding independent auto parts workers) raised approximately $5.5 million for the United Way in the year 2003. In 2003, Windsor auto workers paid $372 million in federal and provincial income tax, or over a $1 million per day. As well, the CAW raised funds to build the University of Windsor student centre.
And most auto workers own homes. Based on average property taxes, Windsor auto workers supported $66 million in municipal tax in 2003, or $181,000 a day, helping to pay for local services.
No Rules, No Borders, No Jobs!
Imported vehicles add nothing to our economy and infrastructure. How many of the vehicles we produce are exported to the countries that we import their vehilces here in North America?
The auto industry is absolutely critical for the health of Windsor's economy and community. It is time we all helped to get the industry back in gear.
The CAW represents 31,000 Windsor-area workers in several sectors of the economy.
Sources available: e-mail cawcomm@caw.ca
January 2004.