Unifor, Nemak employees stop work to protest Windsor, Ont. auto parts plant closure

Unifor members at the Windsor, Ont. Nemak auto parts plant set up a blockade on Labour Day to protest the company's decision to close the plant by mid-2020.

Workers, along with Unifor representatives including national president Jerry Dias, have vowed to stay off the production line until the company commits to a previously-made agreement to keep the plant open until 2022. 

In July, Nemak announced the plant would close sometime next year, moving production of engine blocks and bedplates to a factory in Monterry, Mexico. 

"Nemak is out of business until further notice," said Dias at a rally outside the west Windsor plant. 

"In good faith, we signed an agreement and here we are today … with Nemak announcing their intention of closing this plant. We are expecting [Nemak] will live up to the terms and conditions [of that agreement."

The Nemak plant in Windsor employs about 270 people. 

Dias and Unifor Local 200 president John D'Agnolo went to Mexico last week to meet with company officials but were not happy with the conversations they had.

"This is about greed, exploitation. Nemak is a company that has made billions," said Dias, adding that the company has also received a number of grants for its Windsor operations. 

In 2015, Nemak and the provincial government invested about $15 million into the Windsor location. The plant received about $3 million in funding in 2017 from the federal government, with the intent of creating 70 new jobs. Workers had previously agreed to a wage freeze in order to extend plant operations through 2022 with the promise of three new products. 

Two of those products never materialized.

"We shouldn't be here right now," said D'Agnolo. "Nemak put us in this position."

Support from area union locals, manufacturing employees

Other Unifor locals were out for the protest, including Local 444.

"We're always together," said Local 444 president Dave Cassidy. "These jobs need to stay in Windsor. We can't compete with Mexico. Sooner or later the government will have to understand the fact that we can't do it."

Cassidy said he's glad the union is "drawing a line in the sand."

Union members in attendance said they would be participating in the work stoppage and blocking parts from leaving the plant for "as long as it takes."

"I'd like to see them live up to what they agreed to," said Joe Paquette, a Local 200 member and Ford Motor Company employee. 

"We're not going anywhere."

As part of the protest, the Mexican flag that regularly flies outside the Nemak plant was replaced with a Unifor flag.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens made an appearance alongside protestors Tuesday.

In a tweet, Dilkens said he's "happy to lend my support — and do whatever I can — to keep jobs in Windsor."

Calls on the government for assistance

D'Agnolo called on the provincial government to "step up" and provide some help, saying that if the Ford government stayed silent it would mean the province was agreeing with Nemak's decision to move work elsewhere. 

"We need a government who steps up and tells [Nemak] enough is enough," said D'Agnolo. 

Tracey Ramsey, NDP MP for Essex and the deputy critic for Labour, said what's happening at Nemak is "unacceptable."

"We have a corporation who doesn't care," said Ramsey, adding that the problem is Canada-wide with manufacturing jobs. 

"Today it stops."

In an email statement Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade said the they are "disappointed" by Nemak's decision. 

"No one wants to see hard working people lose their job," they said. 

Ontario's Economic Development Ministry provided approximately $1.2 million to Nemak between 2014 and 2018 through the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund. 

They said the government is "only able to claw back funds in the event a recipient has failed to meet its commitments under terms of their agreement."

"In this case, the company fulfilled terms of their agreement and the project term concluded prior to the closure announcement," the spokesperson said. 

A spokesperson from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada also issued a statement Tuesday, explaining that Nemak satisfied the terms of a $3 million contribution received in 2017 "in support of an R&D project focused on the development of light weight aluminum engine blocks."

"While the terms of the contribution agreement are commercially confidential, Nemak was deemed to have satisfied the terms of the program," they said, in an email.

Nemak responds

Nemak said Tuesday they were disappointed Unifor organized an "illegal stoppage."

"[We] will pursue an application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board to cease Unifor's blockade," said Nemak in a statement. 

"Since the announcement of the plant closure, the company's leadership has been in constant contact with the union officials, actively working to create a transition plan for employees."

According to Nemak, the company is in favour of restablishing a "constructive dialogue" with its employees and their representatives.

Workers and union representatives out front of the Windsor plant Tuesday said Nemak had yet to reach out to them, but were expecting an injunction to be filed.