(Photo of Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidy courtesy of Unifor Local 444's Facebook page)(Photo of Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidy courtesy of Unifor Local 444's Facebook page)
Windsor

"We're going to get there," reassures Unifor Local 444 President over Windsor EV battery plant

The President of Unifor Local 444 Dave Cassidy is reassuring his membership and residents in Windsor as negotiations continue to save the EV battery plant.

The future of the NextStar Energy plant became uncertain on Friday when Stellantis accused the federal government of not living up to its promises. It said it and LG Energy Solution was "implementing their contingency plans."

On Monday morning, the company issued a statement saying "Effective immediately, all construction related to the battery module production on the Windsor site has stopped."

Very little activity is seen at the EV battery plant site in east Windsor, after Stellantis confirmed construction had stopped, May 15, 2023. Photo by Mark Brown/WindsorNewsToday.ca. Very little activity is seen at the EV battery plant site in east Windsor, after Stellantis confirmed construction had stopped, May 15, 2023. Photo by Mark Brown/WindsorNewsToday.ca.

Premier Doug Ford admitted he's very worried about the agreement with Stellantis. While speaking with reporters in Mississauga, he said called on the Trudeau government to deliver on its promises, but stopped short of criticizing it.

"They've been great partners, by the way, in every deal that we've made," he said. "We need them to work with Stellantis."

Provincial officials were part of the negotiations this past weekend with Stellantis, Unifor, and the federal government.

Ford said there's little his government can do.

"We'll go toe-to-toe with any state -- the only thing we can't do is go toe-to-toe with the U.S. federal government. That's the Canadian government's job and they can do it," he said.

Unifor was part of negotiations over the weekend with officials from Stellantis, the federal government and the province.

"This is going to come together," reassured Cassidy. "This is a bump in the road."

His comments echoed those expressed on Saturday by Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk who reiterated his government's commitment to the project.

Cassidy said the federal and provincial governments have already committed $500-million each to build the plant currently under construction on Banwell Road.

At issue are tax credits. Stellantis could receive far more generous incentives in the U.S. under the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation has prompted talks on another subsequent deal with the federal government promising it would deliver the same support.

"We're putting the pressure on the [federal] government. They're [Stellantis] is putting the pressure on the government," explained Cassidy. "If it's not us, it's another jurisdiction in the United States. They need to be in this game if we're to make sure the auto industry continues to thrive in Ontario."

Over the weekend, Windsor West MP Brian Masse suggested Canada could have avoided the uncertainty if it had a national auto policy. Cassidy agreed.

"One hundred per cent," he said.

In the meantime, Cassidy said every effort is being made to save the agreement.

"I'll be on the phone all day again today, and so will every other person," Cassidy said. "We've got everybody supporting us on this deal."

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