Ford Canada postpones 350 new jobs

OAKVILLE, Ontario, July 23 (UPI) -- Ford Canada has informed 350 new recruits not to report for work at its Toronto-area plant because of sluggish vehicle sales.

Lauren More, Ford's vice president of communications, said the workers would have been working a third shift at the Oakville plant, 40 miles west of Toronto. However, that shift has been postponed, along with Saturday overtime production, the Toronto Star said.

The facility produces the Edge and Lincoln MKX crossover utility vehicles for the Canadian and U.S. markets.

In the U.S. market, Edge sales slipped 4.6 percent to 32,693 during the second quarter from the same period last year, with signs of more weakening, the Star said. For the month of June, Edge sales plunged almost 20 percent to 9,993 from the same month last year.

Bob Chernecki, a senior official for the Canadian Auto Workers union, said he felt for the affected workers.

"It has to be absolutely gut-wrenching for some of those people who left other jobs to join Ford and now have this happen," Chernecki told the Star. "What do they and their families do now?"