Ontario Premier Doug Ford will be greeted by a couple of protests in Windsor.
He's spending the day touring the Ford Engine Plant, taking part in a roundtable discussion with the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce and a dinner tonight in Amherstburg.
But along the way, two protests are planned to coincide with the arrival of the premier.
Ford took some time to speak with AM800's Patty Handysides Tuesday afternoon and discussed the labour unrest with teacher's unions, the upcoming provincial budget and a new hospital for Windsor-Essex.
When it comes to the labour dispute with teacher's unions, Premier Ford says he believes in treating teachers fairly but the lack of progress at the negotiating table isn't new.
"For the last 30 years, they have fought with every government from every political strip with every single premier," he says. "I differentiate between the head of the unions and the teachers. I think we have some great teachers —the men and women who are out there day in and day out who are working hard."
Premier Ford says simply put, the province doesn't have the money to give what teachers are asking for at the negotiating table.
"The union is asking for $1.5-billion raise, compounded over a four year period, that's $6-billion and the fact is — we just don't have it."
He adds that the province isn't going to budge on 1% saying other Ontario provincial provincial have accepted it.
In reference to a new hospital in Windsor-Essex, Premier Ford says this region is high on its priority list when it comes to health care funding.
"The Essex-Windsor area on our list is one of the highest needs," he says. "But we are going to get it done and the people of Windsor-Essex I know they had a little internal feuding on the location, but I believe in democracy and letting the majority of the people decide."
The "internal feuding" Premier Ford mentioned was the ongoing dispute with the Citizens for an Accountable Megahospital Planning Process, which is seeking to appeal a decision by the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.
Premier Ford points out his biggest accomplishment to date is having 296,000 people who are working today, compared to a year and a half ago.