The president of Unifor Local 444 is calling an unexpected shutdown at the Windsor Assembly Plant disappointing.
Dave Cassidy says, after the winter holiday shutdown ran a week longer than expected, employees want to work.
According to a statement from FCA Canada, a week of downtime scheduled for April has been bumped ahead to the week of February 11.
Cassidy speculates a slow holiday season might be to blame.
"In my 20-plus years at the facility, we're not used to this in this time of year. People are paying bills sometimes after Christmas and they're not always buying cars right away. So there's that segment that transpires."
He says he had a meeting with FCA officials on Wednesday afternoon.
"I was talking to the plant chair and the committee there and is it frustrating? Sure, it's frustrating. We just came back from Christmas and people want to work. We're going to continue to put that great product out. The market dictates right?"
Dave Cassidy of Unifor Local 444 speaking at the rally of striking Caesars workers, May 8, 2018 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
Cassidy says, after speaking to FCA officials, it's unclear whether or not there will still be a shutdown in April.
"I don't put their schedules out. They notify us what their schedules are. They moved the April shutdown forward. Does it mean that they might move summer shutdown to April? I don't know what that means. Sales and marketing will have a say on that. I don't have any intel on any of that."
Production will resume the week of February 18.
Unifor represents the roughly 6,000 employees at the assembly plant who build the Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Grand Caravan.
— with files from AM800's Rob Hindi