Deadline extended for Windsor Assembly Plant workers to get vaccinated

An employee at FCA’s Windsor (Ont.) Assembly Plant has his daily health screening checked via a mobile app before being allowed entry into the plant. (Courtesy of FCA North America)

Windsor, Ont. -

Windsor Assembly Plant workers have a two-week extension to get their COVID-19 vaccination, according to a social media post from the union.

Unifor Local 444 president Dave Cassidy says Stellantis has pushed the deadline from Dec. 17 to Dec. 31. After that time, employees must be fully vaccinated or face termination.

"It's good to allow people to retire at the end of December without any worry,” Cassidy says in a Facebook post. “The holiday pay, the things that fit into place around the holiday pay. So we've moved that to December 31, which is a move in the right direction and also still there’s going to be special exemptions."

Cassidy says the exemptions, including medical and religious reasons, will be treated on a case-by-case basis.

The auto workers have until Dec. 1 to declare their vaccination status with the company.

"The active workers that have not declared their vaccination status as of yet, the company has told us that they are going to start disciplining as of December 1 and that they need to put their status in as to whether they're vaccinated or not," says Cassidy.

Other employees who are currently off on WSIB or laid off will soon be contacted by the company, Cassidy says.

Stellantis announced the vaccine policy in mid-October.