As General Motors pushes ahead with its plan to close the Oshawa plant, Toronto city council is considering taking a stand.
Councillors will debate a motion from councillor Mike Layton next week that calls on the city to stop buying Mexican-made GM vehicles if the company goes ahead with its plan.
Layton's motion says, "At a time of record profits, General Motors plans to close its plant while the company continues to expand production in Mexico. The closure of the Oshawa Assembly Plant would result in the loss of thousands of Canadian jobs, taking livelihoods away from the very people who bailed General Motors out when it was facing bankruptcy."
It would seem the motion has some support from the Mayor.
In a statement, Mayor John Tory says, "I have been outspoken about the devastating impact that the closure of GM Oshawa will have on families in our region.
As I said last year, Toronto will not be immune to the impact of this impending closure.
I have been clear that I am committed to doing everything we can to protect jobs and bring new jobs to Toronto, Oshawa, and the surrounding region to ensure that generations to come can continue to build their lives here.
I agree with the concerns raised in the motion. I want to hear from City staff about whether this is possible but, right now, I plan to support the motion."
The city's fleet consists of 5,500 vehicles and parts and according to Layton's motion, 372 were produced by GM.
It is possible to tell which GM vehicles were manufactured in Mexico. Their vehicle identification numbers begin with a three.