'A slap in the face': Foreign workers still building NextStar battery plant in Windsor: CBTU
Canada’s Building Trades Unions is demanding the federal government intervene as it alleges local workers are being “sidelined” by foreign employees.
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, obtained by CTV News, CBTU members say they have had several “fruitless” meetings with NextStar Energy and LG to secure work they say their members can perform.
“Canadian workers are being sidelined without consequence,” the letter reads. “For our members in Essex-Kent, the current state of affairs is intolerable.”
CBTU is made up of 12 skilled trades unions, including painters, carpenters, plumbers, Teamsters, elevator and rail operators to name a few.
In a statement to CTV News, CBTU Executive Director Sean Strickland says they have 1,600 workers at the factory on Windsor’s east end but they also have 180 Essex-Kent millwrights and ironwokers who are currently unemployed and available to do the work.
“This has never been a case of ‘knowledge transfer’ or ‘specialized knowledge’,” the CBTU letter reads. “This is the brazen displacement of Canadian workers in favour of international workers, by major international corporations thumbing their noses at both the Government of Canada, taxpayers, and our skilled trades workers.”
NextStar Energy however says the CBTU complaint is “inaccurate”, while also admitting four percent of the people working inside the factory are non-Canadian.
“At present, there are 1,975 workers on site who are readying the plant for launch. All of those workers are Canadian except for 72”, the NextStar Energy statement reads. “These workers are hired temporarily by the suppliers to install proprietary equipment and are a requirement of warranty obligations.”
A statistic quoted by Prime Minster Trudeau during a news conference Thursday in Alliston, Ont.
The federal government is giving Honda five billion dollars in incentives to build electric vehicles and EV batteries in Ontario.
NextStar Energy also tells CTV News, the “projected” 2,500 jobs at NextStar “will be filled by Canadians”.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
Grayson Murray dies at age 30 a day after withdrawing from Colonial, PGA Tour says
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Nicki Minaj detained by police in Amsterdam for allegedly possessing soft drugs
American rapper Nicki Minaj said she was held at Amsterdam Schiphol airport on Saturday on allegation of possession of soft drugs.
American Airlines drops law firm that said a 9-year-old girl should have seen camera on toilet seat
American Airlines has replaced the law firm that told a judge a nine-year-old girl was negligent in not noticing there was a camera phone taped to the seat in an airplane lavatory.
Public safety minister pledges to 'massively' reduce auto theft
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc insists the federal government is 'doing everything (it) can' to eliminate auto thefts in Canada, and he hopes to see 'a significant reduction quickly' following this week's announcement of new measures to counter the problem.
Three dead after vehicle leaves road in Shediac: N.B. RCMP
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
More enoki mushrooms, Lamborghini Urus and promotionally-gifted tumbler cups: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued various recalls this week. Here's what you need to know.