The President of Unifor Local 444 is very concerned about the future of the auto industry in Canada and the future of the Windsor Assembly Plant.
It comes after trade talks broke off between Canada and the United States last week, with Prime Minister Mark Carney stating that a deal was close on sectors such as steel and aluminium but those efforts were derailed because of an Ontario government anti-tariff ad campaign.
James Stewart says U.S. President Trump was elected, there haven't been any investment decisions in Canada by automakers, and adds U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been very clear that production will be done in the U.S.
The Windsor Assembly Plant is the sole producer of two vehicles, but he says they could easily be moved stateside.
Stewart told AM800's Mornings with Mike and Meg, the Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Charger could be in trouble.
"We haven't seen those investments for the next generation of vehicles that we currently build," says Stewart. "So although today we build two very good vehicles, the sole producer of those vehicles, there are are plants very close to the border that could easily pick up the next cycle of those products.
He says a trade deal needs to include protections for the auto sector.
"With Mark Carney and the Prime Ministers Office bargaining sectoral agreements, meaning they bargain something on steel and aluminium and energy but don't use the leverage of what the United States needs to protect auto and forestry, then we're dead in the water," he says.
Stewart says that trade talks don't appear to include the auto industry.
"It's something we're watching, we're concerned about, we're worried about the future of the industry, the future of the plants. It's serious," says Stewart.
Stewart adds Unifor bargained the Jeep Compass for Brampton, but production of that vehicle was recently moved to Illinois because of trade uncertainty and because there isn't a finalized Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement and products remaining in Canada are in jeopardy until those deals are finalized.