Why life at Windsor Assembly will be 'difficult' for FCA workers still inside after loss of third shift

About 1,500 workers at Windsor's FCA plant are expected to be laid off as of June 29, but the announcement has left those who will keep their jobs concerned as well.

"We're going to find ourselves working on more difficult jobs. We're going to do jobs that we had to do when we first started and it's not going to be easy for a lot of people," said Kendall Harris, who has worked at FCA for about 25 years.

On Thursday, FCA announced it had finalized a date for the elimination of the Windsor Assembly Plant's third shift — which has been in place since 1993. The termination date was previously given four extensions.

"It's a scary time. A lot of people are affected. These people come into work day after day. They build a great quality vehicle — wins a lot of awards," said Harris.

"The employees have done everything they've ever been asked to do. And now, a lot of them are going to find themselves without a job."

But for employees who have worked at FCA long enough to avoid the chopping block of low seniority, the loss of 1,500 jobs will still affect them, since those employees will now fall back to the bottom of the seniority list.

"We're going to find ourselves working on more difficult jobs [in the plant]. We're going to do jobs that we had to do when we first started and it's not going to be easy for a lot of people," said Harris.

That sentiment also raises concerns for fellow employee Tanya Kelly. She won't be losing her job come June 29, but said she may end up being reassigned to one of her previous jobs on the assembly line.

"We're all going to do jobs that we did a long time ago and we were hoping to not have to do. Maybe our bodies are not as strong or we're older, whatever the case may be, and it might be difficult," said Kelly.

"I've been here for 24 years. My body's taken a beating for 24 years. It's not going to be easy going back to those more difficult jobs."

She added the mood in the plant is "very, very quiet" — but employees are still displaying a sense of pride in their work. 

"Many of them won't be working beyond June, as of right now, and they're still committed and devoted to the work and their job. So I think that says a lot."

On Thursday, Unifor Local 444 said the loss of the third shift could "potentially" have an immediate effect on the plant's suppliers, like Syncreon and Flex-N-Gate.

Speaking to CBC News the following day, the union representing workers at those two feeder plants confirmed that to be true.

"One-third of our workers will be given a layoff notice," said Unifor Local 195 President Emile Nabbout, adding that will affect about 200 workers.

Mayor calls for economic diversity

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said he was "not completely surprised" by the news of the third shift's termination "based on the information we had about a year ago."

He points to the company's move as a clear sign that the city needs to "redouble its efforts" in developing an economic diversification strategy. 

"We're working on that right now. That will include widespread community consultation from the public and from city council," said Dilkens, adding St. Clair College and the University of Windsor will be "central to the path forward."

"From our geographic position, [we're] certainly looking into Detroit and trying to capitalize on additional opportunities that may exist. If you look at what happened with Quicken Loans where they looked at the one campus, two-country concept, they said, 'Why aren't we doing that?' And now they have an office in the City of Windsor."

Developing this diversification plan may require the city to ask for funding from the provincial or federal governments, said Dilkens.

He adds the community may feel uncomfortable over the enormity of implementing a diversification strategy — but that would far outweigh the feeling people would have if FCA pulls the plug on Windsor. 

The termination of the third shift will also affect businesses in the community as they find "other ways to become profitable," Dilkens said, since about 1,500 families will have less disposable income.

"You'll have fewer people who are out eating at restaurants — fewer people who are buying coffee," said Dilkens. "That naturally has an effect but it takes a little while for that to trickle down."

Dilkens said "the magnitude of the investment that will be required" for his plan will be huge, with funding requests being portioned out over a number of years.