FCA's Windsor Assembly Plant third shift extended until July, union says

FCA has told Unifor Local 444 that the Windsor Assembly Plant's third shift will be extended from June 29 until July 13. 

The Union announced the news in a Facebook post. 

In late February, FCA announced it was going ahead with plans to end the shift.

The company said it would make "every effort" to place laid-off employees in open, full-time positions as they become available based on seniority. The company adds it will offer retirement packages to eligible employees.

At that time, the company announced that production of the Dodge Grand Caravan would cease at the plant on May 22. Between that date and June 29, a "transition period" would begin to reduce the plant from a three-shift operation down to two.

The shift, which has been in place since 1993, was originally expected to end by Sept. 2019. That date was later extended to Oct. 21, 2019, followed by another extension to the end of the calendar year. FCA then said the shift elimination would be extended "until further notice."

A fourth extension came in November, as Unifor announced the termination of the third shift would be delayed until the end of March, but officials at the time said business would be reviewed on a "month-to-month" basis.

The termination of the third shift will affect about 1,500 workers.