TORONTO — Fiat Chrysler this year will invest $262 million at its Windsor, Ontario, assembly plant “for future product,” said Unifor President Jerry Dias, who, even after a “productive meeting” with company executives Wednesday, is “not optimistic” the factory's third production shift can be saved.
Dias, speaking with Automotive News Canada following that meeting, said the investment signals the automaker’s commitment to the minivan plant, even as the outlook for the factory’s soon-to-be cut third shift remains grim.
“They just spent $2 billion [on the Windsor plant] a few years ago, so when you make that type of a major investment, you’re planning on being around for quite a while,” Dias said. “They understand the importance of maximizing capacity. They were open-minded, and that’s the most I can ask for just after our first meeting since the announcement.”
FCA Canada spokeswoman LouAnn Gosselin declined to comment, citing a policy against discussing internal meetings.
The meeting came about three weeks after FCA said it would cut the third shift at the Windsor Assembly Plant by Sept. 30, eliminating about 1,500 jobs. The move comes amid weakening North American sales for the Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans the factory produces.