Workers shocked as hundreds of jobs to be cut at Windsor Assembly
A day after Stellantis announced it would be cutting the Windsor Assembly plant to one shift next spring -- eliminating about 1,800 jobs -- workers say they are in shock.
Stellantis Electrician Andy Probyn said, “Yesterday we took one on the chin at Windsor Assembly. A hard one. Our jaw has been rattled… This is bad for the community, it really will cause a ripple throughout Essex County.”
Lead Electrician John Desjardins added, “Very sad. The air was sad. A lot of frustrated employees."
Both Probyn and Desjardins were working when the news broke.
"It was a shock. People were working. They just kept working. Building. But you could see it sinking in. Even our management team didn’t see it coming," Probyn said.
The company is attributing the move to the worldwide shortage of semiconductors and the effects of COVID-19.
Desjardins said, "I’ve been there when the third shift went to two shifts. Now that we go down to one shift, what’s going to happen next? Hopefully it doesn’t happen. Time will tell.”
UNIFOR Local 195 President Emile Nabbout says the announcement is worrisome.
"This is not good news at all…We are worried a lot. On the news we see and the future for many good paying jobs affecting not only our members but as a community as a whole.”
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens echoes Nabbout's concerns.
"This is a tough blow for 1,800 people – 1,800 families in our community today.
Dilkens said it will have a significant impact on Windsor and the region
"For every job in the plant seven, eight or nine jobs in the community will rely on it. So the impact of losing 1,800 is significant in the community. There’s going to be a lot of folks in the community worried going into Christmas."
Desjardins and Probyn say they are staying hopeful for the future of the Windsor Assembly Plant.
"There’s going to be something positive at some point to come out of it. We are here. It’s Windsor and we build great cars in Windsor. We’ll see,” Probyn said.
Desjardins is also taking a wait-and-see approach, "Hopefully this is just not going to happen. We won’t know until April."
Official statement from Unifor National
Unifor is deeply concerned with Stellantis’ decision to transition the Windsor Assembly Plant to a one-shift operation next spring. Although Stellantis reiterated its commitment to invest up to $1.5 billion in the plant and transition to a three shift operation in the future, this decision threatens the livelihoods of 1,800 highly skilled autoworkers and their families and jeopardizes hundreds more auto-related jobs throughout the province. Unifor is carefully monitoring this situation and will explore all possible options.
Additional official statements, including from Stellantis are here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.