General Motors of Canada interrupted labor contract negotiations on Monday to announce the closing of a plant that makes automatic transmissions and has 1,400 employees. The factory, in Windsor, Ontario, across the Detroit River from GM?s global headquarters, will close in about two years. It will be the first time since 1919 that the city, which historically was Canada?s automotive capital, will be without a GM-owned plant. The withdrawal by G.M. comes on top of the shutdown of some Ford operations in Windsor and employee reductions at a large Chrysler plant that builds minivans for that company as well as Volkswagen. The closing also renews concern in Canada about the country?s automotive industry, which is almost entirely based in Ontario.
See "G.M. Plans to Close Canadian Transmission Plant", Ian Austen, The New York Times, May 13, 2008