JENNIFER FRENCH MPP for Oshawa

OSHAWA — Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath was in Oshawa Friday, vowing to keep up the fight to save auto jobs.

Horwath and Oshawa NDP MPP Jennifer French spent the early morning hours visiting GM workers before the first shift, then met with local union leaders before sitting down with business leaders at the Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. Up to 5,000 jobs are on the line following the devastating news of GM’s plans to halt production at its Oshawa plant next year. This move would close the door on GM’s 100-year history in Oshawa.

“We are going to continue to fight for these workers, their jobs, and for Oshawa," said Horwath. "These families and this community can have a very bright future, if we pull together. As far as I'm concerned, this is only over if the province gives up."

Horwath said frontline workers told her they need Doug Ford and the province to realize that it's not just job numbers on the line — it's real people and their families. They can't afford for Ford to throw in the towel on their livelihood.

"People are worried about putting food on the table for their families. They're worried about whether they'll lose their home," said Horwath. "These are not just jobs — these are careers that generations of Oshawa people have raised their families on, and losing them would be devastating."

"Workers told me today that they want to keep fighting to keep these jobs here — and so do I. Oshawa and Ontario has been a world leader in the auto sector for 100 years, and we don't have to let that change."

Horwath has been highly critical of Doug Ford's decision to throw in the towel and walk away before trying to save the jobs. Within hours of news of the plant's closure, Ford told the legislature "They're gone. They're done."