Auto Industry Vital to Niagara Area Economy, says New CAW Analysis

ST. CATHARINES, ON, April 17, 2012 /CNW/ - The auto industry is an important part of the St. Catharines - Niagara region economy, says a new analysis by the CAW. In 2011 alone, the industry produced automotive products worth $3.2 billion in the St. Catharines-Niagara region (or $9 million per day).

The analysis of the auto industry in St. Catharines is being released as part of the "Re-think the Economy, Re-think Canada's Auto Industry" campaign, launched yesterday at a press conference in Toronto.

"This campaign and the policy ideas it is trying to advance are crucially important to maintaining good jobs in the auto industry, jobs that help support communities like St. Catharines and the surrounding area," said CAW Local 199 Wayne Gates.

"Over the last five years the St. Catharines-Niagara region lost a stunning 5,900 good manufacturing jobs, nearly 1 in 4. The community cannot afford to lose any more."

Tomorrow evening in St. Catharines, the CAW will be hosting a community forum on auto jobs and the community, the second in a series of eight meetings.

Community Forum

April 18 at 6 p.m.
CAW Local 199 Hall
124 Bunting Road, St. Catharines, ON

Some key information about the auto industry in the St. Catharines-Niagara region:

• The St. Catharines-Niagara region is a key part of Canada's auto industry, home to General Motors' in-house engine, transmission and component facilities, and several independent auto parts plants.
• Workers at General Motors built 650,000 engines and thousands of other auto parts in 2011, and started producing transmissions in 2012.
• The auto industry directly employs 4,000 people in the St. Catharines-Niagara region.
• Thousands more jobs are created to supply the industry: jobs in steel, plastics and other manufacturing and services. More jobs are created by the spending power of auto workers' paycheques.
• Auto workers' paycheques pumped $232 million into the St. Catharines-Niagara economy in 2011 (or $636,000 per day).
• The major original equipment manufacturing jobs in the region stimulate an estimated 19,000 additional jobs throughout the economy.
• In 2011, St. Catharines-Niagara auto workers paid $63 million in income, payroll and sales tax (or $173,000 per day), funds which support vital public services like health care, education, employment insurance, public pensions and social services.
• Auto worker's fundraising efforts also directly support community organizations such as the United Way, women's shelters and food banks.

please contact CAW Local 199 President Wayne Gates (cell) 905-328-9532 or CAW Communications Director Shannon Devine (cell) 416-302-1699

For more information on the campaign or to read the entire analysis, please visit: www.rethinktheeconomy.ca (click resources for fact sheets)