Cammie Peirce, 49, has been employed at Chrysler’s Brampton Assembly plant for the past 21 years.
She is also the co-ordinator of the Chrysler Action Centre since it opened in April 2008 to help laid-off workers.
This single mom with four kids (two in university), owns a home in Georgetown and earns $76,000 a year.
budget hopes: She hoped for measures “that make people feel comfortable they can start making purchases again” as well as financial incentives for consumers to buy cars built in North America.
Peirce also wanted improvements to employment insurance that would calm her fears about qualifying for EI and about how long she would be eligible if she loses her job. She says EI has not kept up with inflation and wage increases.
budget reality: “Nobody feels like there was anything there that’s going to save our jobs,” said Peirce, who watched the budget announcement with Chrysler colleagues at Jake’s Boathouse in Brampton.
Peirce said funding for lenders to offer consumers better terms to lease or finance vehicles would not encourage car sales.
“Absolutely, I think it’s important to free up money so that people can (make) purchases, and I think that’s great, but you need to do something that’s going to put the confidence there.”
Peirce said five extra weeks of EI do not make much difference and the changes do not rectify regional disparities.
coalition: “I’m not in favour of toppling a government but I don’t think that this has a lot of solutions.”
