The president of Unifor Local 444 is criticizing Windsor's mayor for a lack of support and recognition regarding job creation at the Windsor Assembly Plant.
President Dino Chiodo used the launching of the new Chrysler Pacifica at the Windsor Assembly Plant on Friday, to publicly slam the municipal government for not helping facilitate the retooling of the facility.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) invested $2.6-billion into the assembly plant, allowing the company to hire 1,200 new employees for the roll out of the new Pacifica.
Chiodo says it's "frustrating" that FCA hasn't received formal recognition from Mayor Drew Dilkens for bringing over 1,000 jobs to Windsor. He says there would be a "big gaping hole in the City of Windsor" without the assembly plant.
"I would think that the mayor of this community would be saying, 'Windsor Assembly Plant, thanks for all that you do. Fiat Chrysler, thanks for your investment,'" he says. "We're still waiting to hear what they have to say. That's shameful."
Chiodo says municipal politicians were not invited to the Pacifica launch at the plant for a reason.
"I think there should have been a lot of praise," he says. "You don't hear anything about 1,200 jobs, which is actually stimulating the economy, which is actually keeping the businesses right here in Windsor, Ontario.
"Sure, they're all going to say it's great, but they never [lifted a] hand and say, 'We want to help, what can we do?'"
-With files from Maureen Revait