Plan to use 900 foreign workers at Windsor EV battery plant called an 'insult' to Canadian labourers
CBC
A national organization representing skilled workers describes NextStar's plan to use as many as 900 foreign workers to install equipment at the electric-vehicle (EV) battery plant in Windsor, Ont., as an "insult" to Canada's tradespeople.
Sean Strickland is executive director of Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU), which represents more than 500,000 skilled trades workers in 14 unions.
He said the work should go to trained Canadians — specifically workers in southwestern Ontario.
"It's just absolutely unconscionable," he said.
"We need to find a way to resolve the situation and maximize the number of Canadian jobs on this project."
Strickland said workers under their umbrella have performed similar "state of the art technology" in the automotive sector for the past 100 years — including battery plants across North America.
He said NextStar's requirement of 900 foreign workers who have experience with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is beyond industry standards his organization has seen.
"We traditionally work alongside original equipment manufacturer representatives when we install the equipment, but not 900."
On Thursday, NextStar confirmed its plan to hire about 1,600 technicians from outside suppliers to assemble, install and test equipment, including up to 900 "temporary specialized global supplier staff," mainly from South Korea.
"They have specific knowledge of the equipment, having been part of the team to build it and disassemble it for shipping, and will therefore see the installation through," the company said in a statement.
The plant, a partnership between Stellantis and South Korean company LG Energy Solution, is slated to open in 2025, and received $15 billion in federal and provincial subsidies.
Until his trades union secures a meeting with the companies — which Strickland says has yet to take place — he said it's too difficult to say what would be an acceptable number of workers coming to Windsor for the project.
WATCH | Poilievre, Trudeau debate use of foreign workers at Windsor EV plant:
Strickland said work continuing at the battery plant adds urgency.
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