Unifor is condemning Wescast Industries decision to close its foundry operations in Wingham. In the news release the union says the move will devastate workers, families and the community where the facility has operated for more than a century.
The foundry in Wingham has been in operations since 1902 and primarily manufacturers exhaust manifold for automakers such as Ford, GM, and Volvo.
Wescast was acquired by Sichuan Bohong Co. Ltd. In 2013.
Last week, Wescast Industries communicated to Unifor its intention to close the Wingham facility while continuing to source castings directly from a sister operation in China.
Around 250 Unifor Local 4207 members currently work at the foundry.
The union maintains that overseas sourcing of castings violates program commitment guarantees in the collective agreement and is the subject of a prior grievance filed by the union earlier this year.
Since being acquired by the overseas company, the union repeatedly has expressed concerns to management regarding the company’s lack of investment in basic maintenance of the historic facility.
Full details are available at the release on the Unifor website below.
https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/unifor-condemns-wescast-industries-abandoning-workers-wingham
