Latest news with #StellantisWindsorAssemblyPlant
CBC
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
One-week shutdown hits Stellantis assembly plant in Windsor
The Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant will shut down next week as the trade war with the U.S. drags on, but the company isn't pointing to tariffs as the reason behind the closure. LouAnn Gosselin, head of communications for Stellantis in Canada, says the change relates to the plant's transition to building 2026 models. "As the company prepares for the upcoming launch of the 2026 model year Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Grand Caravan/Chrysler Voyager and Dodge Charger Daytona, we are adjusting production at the Windsor Assembly Plant in order to complete the build out of the 2025 model year vehicles," Gosselin said. The plant is closed for the week beginning May 5, and the company said it will "continue to monitor the situation." Unifor Local 444, which represents workers at the plant, also announced the shutdown on Thursday. "We will keep you informed as more information becomes available regarding the following weeks," the union said on social media. The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Production at the facility was paused for two weeks last month after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on imported vehicles, but the plant reopened on April 22. Trump has since enacted some measures to offer automakers some relief. U.S. tariffs on foreign parts are set to kick in on May 3.
CBC
03-03-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Autoworkers feeling 'mental anguish' in anticipation of possible tariffs Tuesday
Autoworkers in Windsor, Ont. are holding their breath in the lead up to Tuesday — which could see the United States slap Canada with 25 per cent tariffs on most imports.. According to Jayson Mercier, who has worked at the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant for 25 years, the situation is unnerving and causing "mental anguish" within the workplace, with many colleagues feeling the pain. "It's an emotional roller coaster," he said. "As the day gets closer to [Tuesday], it's terrifying." "There's nobody really going around telling us, 'Oh, everything's going to be okay!' Nobody's telling us that. So at the end of the day, all the worry lies on our shoulders as workers." Line worker Derek Gungle is one of the 4,500 people employed at the plant. He describes the workplace atmosphere at Windsor's largest employer as "tense" with workers unsure of what to expect from day to day. 'Death knell for this entire industry' Some analysts have predicted that should tariffs kick in, plants could grind to a halt within a week, resulting in mass layoffs. In a normal year, according to the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, about 80 per cent of vehicles made in Canada — almost all from Ontario — are exported to the U.S. It's about $53 billion worth of exports. Trump first mentioned the 25 per cent tariff after his inauguration on January 20th. He later put a 30-day pause on the threat, which ends March 4th. Trump has also threatened additional automotive tariffs in April, making claims that Canada "stole" the industry from the United States. "It's a death knell for this entire industry," Gungle said. He said anyone involved in the automotive industry is at risk of losing their job. Feels personal Fellow Stellantis auto worker Kathy McKay says it feels like a personal attack. "I'm a very proud Canadian. My parents both served in the military, and to have him characterize Canada as being anything but the best partner, friend and neighbour that the U.S. has ever had completely is a slap in my face," she said. "Tariffs do threaten jobs on both sides of the border. It could throw us into a layoff. The economy could crash. If the economy crashes, you know darn well big ticket items like autos are the first on the chopping list." She is close to retirement, so while she does feel her job is at risk, she's more worried for her colleagues with lower seniority. "The younger workers are very concerned." Trickle down effect Gungle says he doesn't have a back up plan if he gets laid off, but he's saving money instead of spending. Mercier said he's worried about what the situation could do to his pension. "If they take that, they pull that rug from underneath us? It's devastation really is what it is," he said. As for what Mercier would do if he does lose his job, he said it's very hard to have a back up plan for thousands of auto workers looking for a job at the same time. Mercier, McKay and Gungle each pointed out that mass layoffs would have a disastrous trickle down effect on the whole city. "I was even going to get a haircut the other day and my barber was saying that he's concerned about his business because if people aren't working, obviously they're not going to be going and getting haircuts," Gungle said. "So every industry is going to be affected." For Mercier, the one thing that gives him hope is the union, Unifor. "I think most workers in our plant do have faith in the union and they can do some pretty miraculous things. And I've seen it with my eyes," he said.
