Union representatives met with the Canadian arms of Fiat
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment landscape was in focus, after auto sales plummeted this spring during the peak months of the pandemic, and production lines stalled as automakers shut down plants.
"Has the pandemic taken some wind out of the sails? Of course it has. And I'd be naive not to acknowledge that, but it's a different situation today than in 2008, 2009. Dias told reporters.
"The crash of 2008 and the impending bankruptcies of
These days, dealerships are a lot more full than people were expecting as consumers are nervous about taking public about taking public transit, Ubers and hopping on trains.
"And so I'm hoping that we get out of this crisis a lot quicker than anybody had anticipated."
Dias said that car companies are planning for demand six years from now, and that temporary pressure from the pandemic cannot be used as an “excuse” to keep new projects out of
“COVID-19 is a real problem. There's no question. I feel for families that have lost so many loved ones. But this is an industry that thinks not just for the short-term, but the long-term," said Dias.
"It's not as if I have to chase wages in
Despite confidence in the auto companies’ balance sheets, Dias said the industry as a whole remains “in peril,” citing lack of investments in electric vehicles as one example. Dias noted that the existing collective bargaining agreements, which expire on
Dias warned that Canadian consumers would “punish” companies who did not keep local operations running.
"Canadians are really loyal to the companies that build here," said Dias.
This report by
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