Windsor

Windsor Assembly Plant shutdown extended amid semiconductor shortage

The Windsor Assembly Plant shutdown will extend to May 3, a week longer that originally planned, according to Stellantis and the union representing workers there.

Plant was shut down in late March, as well as in February

A weld curtain hangs between two operators working on the underbody of a Dodge Grand Caravan at the Windsor Assembly Plant to help maintain social distancing required to slow the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Windsor, Ont., on May 8, 2020. (FCA/REUTERS)

A shutdown at the Windsor Assembly Plant is being extended amid an "unprecedented" global shortage of microchips, automaker Stellantis says.

The plant was expected to be closed for four weeks starting on March 29. Unifor Local 444, which represents workers, said the closure is expected to last an extra week, until May 3.

A spokesperson for the company confirmed that the closure would last through the end of April.

"Stellantis continues to work closely with our suppliers to mitigate the manufacturing impacts caused by the various supply chain issues facing our industry," Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin said in a statement.

Along with other industries, the auto sector is grappling with a shortage of the electronic chips needed to make vehicles. Other automakers, such as Ford and General Motors, have slashed production.

The Windsor Assembly Plant is in its second shutdown due to the shortage. In February, production was halted for three weeks.

With files from the Associated Press