Union claims Ford chose Mexico over Canada for new engine work
by Canadian Manufacturing Staff
Unifor said it is "disappointed," claims automaker chose to build new engine at Mexico plant instead of Windsor, Ont.
WINDSOR, Ont.—The union representing Ford Motor Co. workers in Canada said the automaker has decided to build a new engine at a plant in Mexico instead of Windsor, Ont., after it was unable to reach an agreement with the federal and provincial governments.
Unifor said it is disappointed Ford and the Ontario and federal governments couldn’t come to an agreement that would have brought production of the global engine to the plant in Windsor.
The union did not specify what type of agreement the parties were working on, but claimed it “would have secured more than 1,000 good jobs” in the southwestern Ontario city.
“The auto industries that are flourishing around the world are ones where there is a deep commitment from government and an understanding of the importance and wisdom of investment—which always pays dividends,” Unifor national president Jerry Dias said in a statement released by the union.
Unifor estimates that for every job created in an auto manufacturing facility, another 10 jobs are created elsewhere in the production chain.
“While we are disappointed that this work will be lost to Mexico, we remain optimistic that the tide is changing,” Dias said. “Government, industry and labour are increasingly committed to finding ways of securing the strategic investments we need to rebuild our manufacturing base.”
Earlier this month, Ford announced it was adding 1,000 jobs at its plant in Oakville, Ont., home to the Edge crossover.
At the time, Unifor said it was hopeful the new jobs in Oakville will spill over to the engine plant in Windsor.
