Unifor Ontario Chair and Local 444 President Dino Chiodo feels 1,200 new hires at the Windsor assembly plant should serve notice to higher levels of government of investment opportunities in the auto and manufacturing sectors.
Speaking to BlackburnNews.com, Chiodo gives workers their share of the credit for making the plant viable and an attractive place to invest.
"It's [a testament to] the Windsor assembly plant employees that have really come to the pump through sacrifices that happen in bargaining like in 2012 to be able to position ourselves to be competitive, showing the rest of the world that we can be competitive in today's market," says Chiodo.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced on Thursday it has hired 1,200 workers over the past nine months — 600 more than expected — as part of plans to build the new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica.
Chiodo sees the added hires as stimulus to the local economy saying the spin-offs of the auto jobs are nine to one. He feels there's more room for the industry to grow.
"The technology and productivity that we can provide in Ontario, in Windsor and Essex County specifically; there should be no reason why we can't go out and attract more business to come and work in Canada, sell product and make a profit for corporations," says Chiodo.
The Windsor assembly plant now employs about 6,000 people.