GM to close Ontario transmission plant in 2010

"This is devastating news, not just for our members and their families, but the city of Windsor," Hargrove said "It will mean for the first time since 1963 that General Motors will have nobody producing anything in the city of Windsor."

Most of the employees are close to retirement and the union is negotiating buyout packages, Hargrove said.

"If they accept our proposal it would cover most of the people," said Hargrove, who added they may have to strike to get a closeout agreement.

Hargrove is meeting GM officials this week in an attempt to get an agreement to a new three-year labor deal with all GM workers in Canada. CAW workers ratified a new labor deal with Ford earlier this month.

Hargrove said if they don't have a deal with GM by 6 p.m. EDT on Wednesday they'll push back negotiations to September and set a strike deadline.

The union is hoping GM and Chrysler will agree to a deal that is similar to the Ford one. The surprise deal with Ford, reached months before the CAW's national auto contracts expire in September, keeps the company's labor costs essentially the same as they are now, the union said.

Hargrove said Monday GM hasn't met the Ford pattern in some areas.

The union also started meetings with Chrysler on Monday.

Canada's manufacturing sector, centered in Ontario, has been hit hard by a higher Canadian dollar and the economic slowdown in the U.S.

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