Are you high?
There's a secret plot against Quebec again? This time it's the worlds largest automaker in cahoots with the Canadian Government to make Quebecois loose their jobs?
Get real.
There are 3 factors here; 1) Ontario is favored over Quebec for manufacturing due to geographic location. If it costs an automaker (looking for profitability in a competitive market) more in Freight and inventory to get parts from Quebec than in Ontario, the "total cost" doesn't favor doing business in Quebec.
2) Unions; It's no big secret that Quebec is one of the most unionized places in N.A. In this article, does the union do a little introspection on their own responsibility in both the St-Therese and GDX plant closings?
Did the unions always agree to more flexible working conditions or other concessions? All we hear is how "the workers in this closed plant were the best in N.A." or in this case "it's a big plot against us" (look the other way). The value of building Strike banks, production disruptions from walk outs and prolonged negotiations have added excessive costs to the bottom line.
This is why Toyota, Honda and Nissan set their plants up down South (or in remote places in Ontario) were people want to work and don't need a Union.
3) Economics; With the Canadian dollar taking away any advantage we previously had in exporting to the US, combined with the above 2 demerits (Logistics and inflexible, higher cost labor), what is the advantage of doing business in Quebec?
Quebec's economy is evolving from Manufacturing (due in part from China and other LCC's competition) and moving towards Technology and Financial industries. Only our natural resources sectors (mining, lumber, oil and gas) are strong and this is in part for the growing appetite of manufacturing outside N.A. We need the realization and lucidity this is happening to understand how to protect what little manufacturing we have left and capitalize on opportunity. We also need to know when to "recycle" unskilled labor, invest in higher education and thus embrace market changes. The quicker we react, the more competitive we will be. Blaming and sticking our heads in the sand don't help.