Windsor Assembly Plant down for two weeks due to automobile tariffs

A Stellantis assembly plant in Windsor will be down for two weeks starting April 7 with U.S. tariffs being the primary driver behind the decision.

The union representing workers at the assembly plant Unifor Local 444, posted on social media Wednesday evening that the company said more changes to the schedule are potentially expected in the coming weeks.

The post reads, “the company said there are multiple factors at play, with the primary driver behind the final decision this afternoon’s announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump of the U.S. tariffs.”

Unifor represents more than 4,500 Stellantis workers at the assembly plant, with additional members employed in the auto parts supply chain, including Unifor members at at Local 195.

“This has and continues to create uncertainty across the entire auto industry. This is not just affecting our plant – it’s impacting facilities in the U.S. and Mexico as well,” further reads the post.

The national Unifor President Lana Payne said Trump’s announcement, “offers absolutely no relief to Canadian workers who are ready to fight for every job, every plant, every community in this U.S.-initiated trade war.”

The closure comes after Trump announced sweeping 10 per cent reciprocal tariffs –  and a 25 per cent tariff on “foreign-made” cars – in an initiative that he has repeatedly called “Liberation Day.”

James Stewart, president of Local 444, said in response to the auto tariff, “Our members are concerned for their jobs and frustrated by the uncertainty that these unjust and needless tariffs are creating across the industry.”

“We are prepared to fight for our jobs with the full backing of Unifor members across the country,” he said.

According to a White house fact sheet Canada and Mexico were spared from the new measures, but the Trump administration maintains 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum, and on all foreign-made automobiles.

WATCH MORE: ‘Liberation Day:’ Trump’s new tariff rollout set to impact global trade