Stellantis 'committed' to new product, return of 3rd shift says hopeful Unifor leader
'I feel a lot better on Monday than I sure did on Friday,' says Dave Cassidy
The leader of the local union representing workers at Windsor's minivan assembly plant is hopeful something can be done to save jobs that may otherwise be lost.
On Friday, Stellantis announced it would be moving from two shifts to one in spring of 2022, citing a shortage of semiconductors as the main reason.
"It was a blow to us on Friday, obviously," said Dave Cassidy, president of Unifor Local 444.
"I feel a lot better on Monday than I sure did on Friday. You know, Stellantis is committed still to the new product or products that we're going to get in the Windsor Assembly Plant. They're committed to coming back to the three shifts as we had bargained. But we're really going through a tough time right now because we're faced with the semiconductor issue."
Though unsure of what exactly could be done, Cassidy said he hopes there's enough time to find a way to keep the second shift operating in some capacity.
"We're going to be meeting with the employer [Tuesday] to kind of give our business plan and how we see it, and if there's a way out of this," he said.
"We have six months. We have some breathing room."
During a visit to the Windsor region on Monday, Premier Doug Ford said he would be meeting with the company Tuesday. Cassidy said he met with Ford on Monday.
He said the main focus of his message was getting other products made at the Windsor plant.
"The province and the feds have committed the money. The money is there. We need to get Stellantis to pull that product if they can pull that product earlier than what it was, speed it up," Cassidy said.
"We need to get it in there. You know, we have some downtime that's been going on all along. Why can't we get that product in there sooner than later?"
WATCH | Auto workers speak out about shift cuts at the Windsor Assembly Plant:
New product was committed to the Windsor plant last year, during contract negotiations between the company and Unifor. It was set to launch in 2024.
The collective agreement, reached last October, included a commitment from the company to keep the existing product portfolio in Ontario, and add three product derivatives to its plants.
In a media release Friday, Stellantis said it will honour the investment commitment of up to $1.5 billion outlined in the 2020 collective agreement.
Feeder plants feel the pinch
Windsor Assembly Plant workers aren't the only people who will be affected if the shift reduction goes ahead in the spring.
Unifor Local 195 president Emile Nabbout, said some of the facility workers he represents work at plants that solely supply the Stellantis operation.
"The future is worrisome to all of us," he said.
When Stellantis cut down to two shifts last year, Nabbout said 400 of his members were affected in addition to the 1,500 Stellantis workers.
He said he is working to figure out what his union and its members can do to help.
"This is not only for the workers who work at the assembly plant, but for the entire community."
LISTEN | Hear more from Nabbout on how cuts will affect Windsor feeder plants:
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With files from Windsor Morning