BrightDrop electric delivery vans should have been a Canadian success story.
But after $500 million in investments from the federal government, GM abandoned the 1000+ Unifor Local 88 workers who kept the CAMI auto plant running.
I was in Ingersoll recently to learn about the impact of the closure and how we can save these good, union jobs and the EV manufacturing Canada desperately needs.
@avilewis I love seeing the BrightDrop vans around here in Victoria, the aesthetic is a kind of future-retro I wasn't expecting from the industry.
I think we should nationalize the plant, and the design, and make it a Canadian export to the world.
(But, uh, consult an actual expert about such things before listening to a random tech guy like me 😂)
@avilewis I hope that we are at a point where companies that are "too large to fail" don't get government handouts when they cry poor anymore.
I've been around long enough to have experienced bailouts to the turn of millions of dollars per job, and the company does the rug pull anyways.
If they need support, consider either nationalizing them, or supporting an employee buyout of the company with some guarantees against commercial retaliation.
I just don't trust the companies anymore.
Avi Lewis
Kevin Boyd (he/him) 🇨🇦
ZenHeathen 🇨🇦
rhempel