The guy in question is Jerry Dias, head of Ontario’s new and powerful Union …UNIFOR.
Poor Dias was on local radio bemoaning the fact that he is worried that General Motors might pull out of Ontario and taking with it some 30,000 good paying automotive jobs.
The thinking is that if this was to happen, the likely benefactor will be Mexico with its much cheaper labour force.
Mr. Dias did not sound at all angry but more despondent. He also felt betrayed by GM for taking Ontario and Canadian Taxpayers’ dollars in the multi billion dollar bailout fallowing the financial collapse of 2008.
Is there no honour?
Well no Jerry there isn’t. I have said time and time again that ‘Capitalism has no heart – it has no soul’ and will gravitate to where it can make the most money.
And in our case, this could very well be Mexico which already has a growing and robust car industry thanks mainly to a cheap labour supply.
I have for a long time now been an opponent of Corporate Welfare made first famous in the General Election of 1972 by NDP Leader David Lewis. If I was not a fan of his position then – I certainly soon thereafter came on board.
First off, a welfare payment to one corporation is unfair to other businesses engaged in the same product lines. Why should one corporate taxpayer be advantaged over another corporate taxpayer by their same Government? The answer is of course – they should not.
And second, the loyalty of the corporate welfare bum lasts just as long as it takes to pocket the Government’s cheque.
So why is the Unifor Chief so shocked.
After all, this is what it always comes down to.
This is not said to disparage Big Business – Capitalism, despite the thoughts of the loony left – is the best economic system going.
Simply stated – despite all its flaws – it is the only system that works.
So let’s go back to 2008 and the Big Business Bailout for the Auto Guys – I was opposed to it – see reason’s First and Second above.
I also knew that what would really work is the following:
- Cheap Hydro Rates … like we used to have;
- An abundant well educated work force;
- Clean, abundant water;
- A safe and clean place in which to live;
- Rule of Law;
- Excellent infrastructure etc etc.
And now add, as we have, – a 20+ % discount on the dollar of our largest customer – the United States of America.
These items will beat handouts 10 times out of 10. It is just too bad, thanks to the folks at Queen’s Park, that we have lost one of our greatest advantages – cheap hydro power.
As I see it…
’K.D. Galagher’
