Stellantis, a global automaker, has announced temporary layoffs at its Windsor, Ontario plant due to tariffs and market demand in North America. The plant, which employs over 6,400 workers, will be idle for three weeks starting later this month. The employees had already been on a two-week layoff but are scheduled to return to work on Monday.
The company stated that the decision to idle the Windsor Assembly Plant is in response to changing market conditions and consumer demand, as well as the impact of tariffs. The upcoming shutdowns are scheduled for the weeks of October 19 and 26, as well as November 2.
The latest round of layoffs adds to the uncertainty faced by Stellantis employees in Windsor, who manufacture Chrysler Pacifica minivans and Dodge Charger muscle cars. Contract negotiations between Stellantis and Unifor, the worker’s union, have hit a standstill, mainly due to disagreements over the future of the assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario.
Stellantis has expressed its intention to sell the Brampton plant citing market and trade conditions, a move that Unifor has strongly opposed. Despite the expired collective agreement between Stellantis and Unifor, there have been no changes in the ongoing contract negotiations.
James Stewart, president of Unifor Local 444 representing auto workers in Windsor, expressed disappointment over the additional downtime caused by the layoffs. He shared the news on social media and mentioned that the situation was not what they wanted to hear. Stewart emphasized the importance of securing more product allocations for Windsor and the casting plant in Etobicoke in the contract talks.
In an update on negotiations, Stewart mentioned that employees in Windsor would receive more information upon their return to work on Monday. He assured them that a leaflet was being prepared to provide updates on the bargaining process and what to expect in the future.