Horwath visits Windsor with response to Stellantis cuts at assembly plant

Provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath made an appearance in Windsor today, giving her party's response to Stellantis's announcement it would be cutting a full shift at the Windsor Assembly plant by spring of next year.

"My heart goes out to those workers and this entire community," the opposition leader said.

"We have a premier who doesn't do the right thing when it comes to fighting for good jobs in the auto sector and, in fact, takes us backwards when it comes to preparing for the vehicles of the future,"

Horwath's appearance is taking place just a couple of days after a visit from premier Doug Ford to the Windsor-Essex area where he promised big bucks for the auto sector in the face of news of the Stellantis cuts.

• Doug Ford vows to support Stellantis, workers in wake of news 1,800 jobs will be cut
• Stellantis 'committed' to new product, return of 3rd shift says hopeful Unifor leader

Horwath criticized the premier for his government's decision to cut electric vehicle and charging station incentives in the province when first coming to power instead bringing forward an NDP plan to introduce a suite of incentives to help people switch to electric and have 100 percent of new auto sales in the province be electric by 2035.

"There's a lot of transformation and transition that needs to happen," she said.

"If we are going to have the opportunity to keep these good jobs in our communities with the transition into electric vehicles, then we need to be there with the companies, with workers, with a strategy to make sure that these jobs and these vehicles of the future are manufactured here in our province." 

Horwath also responded to Stellantis's recently announced search for a location in North America to build a battery plant. Ford earlier this week said he would welcome talks with any company looking to set up a plant in the province and especially Windsor.

"Doug Ford needs to get on it... and fight for that plant to be located here in Ontario," she said.

No certainties

Union officials did express optimism this week after meeting with the company, saying that Stellantis is still committed to bringing a new product to Windsor and the eventual return of not just a second but also a third shift at the assembly plant.

Without certainties, however, workers like Allison Kozolanka are still wait in a state of uncertainty.

"I'm pretty scared as well," she said.

Kozolanka is 53-years-old and has worked at the plant since May of 1998, which would put her within range of cuts at the plant by just months. She said that if she did end up losing her job, she would have to start looking again.

"I'm going to have to put my feelers out there," she said. "Having to put my feelers out there is going to be terrifying."