INGERSOLL - CAW President Ken Lewenza applauded General Motors' announcement yesterday of a new $90 million investment in the CAMI Automotive plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. The move will expand the size of the plant, ramp up car production and recall laid-off workers back to work. "Today's announcement is definitely welcome news for auto workers in Ingersoll and across the country," Lewenza said. "These workers and their families have struggled through years of uncertainty and insecurity and it's good to see some positive news surface amid all of the challenges Canada's auto industry is facing."

As part of the investment, the company announced plans to re-tool the CAMI plant body shop and ramp up car production by an expected 40,000 units per year, resulting in the recall of 155 laid-off plant workers. By June 2010, the plant is expected to be operating at full capacity to accommodate the expected levels of new unit production.

"With this announcement our membership has been given an increased level of security in the most difficult economic times," said CAW Local 88 President Dan Borthwick, representing the over 2000 production and skilled trades workers at the CAMI plant. "Bringing jobs back into the plant will not only provide a huge boost to our members and their families, but also to the local economy."

The CAW and CAMI Automotive negotiated a new three year collective agreement in September of this year that followed the new economic pattern set by General Motors and Chrysler. A critical part of that agreement was new replacement product for the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain in 2014. "Our objective during the last round of negotiations was to secure the future of our facility, and it seems today we've done that," said CAMI plant chairperson Mike Van Boekel. "Today's announcement is a testament to the high quality and productive work done by CAW members at CAMI." CAMI Automotive in Ingersoll is a joint venture between General Motors and Suzuki. The Ingersoll facility produces both Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles.