Windsor

Union urges connection with auto industry for new MPs, as Windsor-Essex gets swept blue

Windsor-Essex has been swept blue and the auto-sector wants its voices to be heard at the federal level and not get lost in the pull between the Conservatives and the Liberal minority government.

Local union president says cooperation needed between Conservative MPs, Liberal government

An aerial view by drone of new vehicles at the Honda assembly plant in Alliston, Ont.
One union leader, representing workers at auto parts plants, says the industry cannot lose its seat at the table in the face of tariff threats. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

Windsor-Essex has been swept blue, with five Conservative MPs elected to represent the region.

A local auto union president says the automotive industry still needs a seat at the table, and he'll be advocating to ensure the region's new MPs carry the sector's voice to Ottawa. 

"If you don't have a seat at the government table, yes, it can put our community at some disadvantage," said Emile Nabbout. He represents Unifor Local 195, which has workers at local auto feeder plants. .

A man raises an arm in front of a podium
Emile Nabbout is the president of Unifor Local 195 and chair of the Unifor Independent Parts Supplier Council. (Kathleen Saylors/CBC)

Nabbout, who called the election results "disappointing," praised the NDP's Brian Masse and his success as the region's voice in the opposition in Ottawa. Masse lost his seat to the Conservative's Harb Gill on Monday night.

Nabbout says it's a critical time for the region given the U.S. trade war and automotive tariffs. 

"My message to the elected Conservative MPs in our area, is to continue connecting with the community and working with labour leaders to protect the jobs and defend Canadian sovereignty and be supportive to the Prime Minister," he said.

"Sometimes we may have a dispute, but we have to support. This is a big fight that we've been facing with the challenger from across the border and unity is needed."

It's a sentiment echoed by Unifor Local 444 president James Stewart, who says Canada needs to continue its fight against auto tariffs now the election is over. 

Conservative MPs, Liberal government need to work together for Windsor: political scientist 

For Jamey Essex, professor of political science at the University of Windsor, Kathy Borrelli flipping Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore for Conservatives and ousting Liberal incumbent Irek Kusmierczyk was "a bit of surprise."

Essex said now, the newly elected Conservative MPs will "have to switch from campaign mode to governing mode."

"They are still fairly important here: the unions, the auto sector, and they're going to want a seat at the table," he said.

A man in a white shirt.
Jamey Essex, professor of political science at the University of Windsor, says the Conservative MPs and the Liberal minority government will both need to work to support the automotive industry in the face of tariffs. (Pratyush Dayal/CBC)

Essex said Conservative MPs will also have to work to get Windsor's issues heard by the Carney government.

"They'll have to listen to these concerns because this is going to be one of the places most impacted by the tariffs, even though Trump [Tuesday] said he's going to start walking back some of the auto sector tariffs but they're not going away," he said.

"So [Conservative MPs] are going to have to work with the unions, the automakers, local communities to figure out how you can best represent them, as part of the official opposition," he said. 

"It's something that the federal government will also have to pay attention to, unless they want this place to be completely hollowed out because that is one potential outcome of the long term tariff structure that's been put in place..."

"It's not something that's going to be easy to adjust to and could bring a lot of pain."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pratyush Dayal

Videojournalist

Pratyush Dayal covers climate change, immigration and race and gender issues among general news for CBC News in Windsor. Before that, he worked for three years at CBC News Saskatchewan. He has previously written for the Globe and Mail, the Vancouver Sun, and the Tyee. He holds a master's degree in journalism from UBC and can be reached at pratyush.dayal@cbc.ca