The Detroit Three are in much better financial shape than three years ago. General Motors and Ford are now profitable, and Chrysler appears poised to begin making real money soon. That success has lead to plans to spend billions of dollars on North American plants, but Automotive News reports that our friends to the north aren't seeing much of the money.

Ford, GM and Chrysler are reportedly planning to spend at least $13.3 billion in the U.S. in the next four years, but investment in Canadian plants is dropping fast. In fact, there was only $1.2 billion in plant spending in Canada in 2011, down 62 per cent versus the average of the last decade. A big reason for the decline in spending is the strength of the Canadian dollar and the relative weakness of the U.S. dollar.

Automakers are also spending more in the U.S. thanks to a new labour agreement with the United Auto Workers, which helps level labour costs compared to foreign rivals. Meanwhile, automakers and the Canadian Auto Workers are now working on a new contract for 2012. The CAW has so far fought many of the cost cuts that the UAW has accepted.

To make matters worse for the Canadian auto climate, Ford closed the St. Thomas plant that once built the Lincoln Town Car and Ford Crown Victoria, and GM has reportedly announced plans to build two models in the U.S. that are currently being built in Canada.

We're guessing that while the Canadian announcements have been few and far between in the past year or two, that could change if the CAW makes a few concessions at the bargaining table in 2012. If not, auto jobs in Canada could be in real trouble.

 

Hopefully the CAW does not sink itself

 

No doubt

 

I'd hate to see auto production dissappear from Canada.

 

Windsor has been hammered and it is sad to see really

 

Why have the CAW been a real pain in this from the start. They are killing us here! It's almost like they are acting that nothing has happenned over here!

 

^^^ Yea, time to wake up and smell the ink on the pink slips boys. Stop worrying about saving the union and start worrying about saving the jobs you exist to protect. How many plants need to close, how much more do Windsor and Oshawa have to die before you wake up.

 

I did not know Oshawa was in super bad shape, sorry to hear that. Windsor used to be a thriving (albeit auto) city up until recently and it's tough to witness its downfall. Oh well I try by buying Big 3 every time

 

Me too. I'm still a big fan of American iron. Nothing like it.

 

Same here, love north american cars/trucks..... but you can't deny that some of our foreign neighbours do design some nice, quality automobiles today, and they are very competitive in warranty,miliage, ects...