'This decision threatens the livelihoods of 1,800 workers'
Automobile manufacturer Stellantis has announced that they’ll be reducing the operations at their Windsor Assembly Plant to a single shift starting April next year. CTV News reported that about 1,800 jobs will be lost when the company begins its transition. The company attributed the operations adjustment to the "persisting semiconductor shortage and the extended effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."
"In response to these factors, Stellantis will adjust production operations at its Windsor Assembly Plant (WAP) in Canada. Beginning in the spring of 2022, WAP will transition to a one-shift operation," announced the company in a statement. "The company reaffirms its WAP investment commitment outlined in the 2020 Collective Agreement of up to $1.5B CAD.”
Union Local 444 Unifor addressed the announcement in a later statement, confirming that the company informed them about the shift beforehand.
"The company served the union official notice late this afternoon that they will be moving to a one-shift operation at the Windsor assembly plant on April 17, 2022," it said.
Despite the official notice, the union said they’ll be meeting with the company to get into the specifics of the plan.
"We will be meeting with the company in the coming days to explore ALL other options," Unifor said.
According to the union, the company has stressed its commitment to their WAP investment commitment and to the three-shift operation in the future.
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Meanwhile, Unifor National has also commented on the issue and said it is "deeply concerned" about Stellantis' decision.
"This decision threatens the livelihoods of 1,800 highly skilled autoworkers and their families and jeopardises hundreds more auto-related jobs throughout the province," the union said a quoted by CTV News in another report.
Unifor National said it will be monitoring the situation and will be exploring all possible options.
