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The issue of the use of temporary foreign workers in the construction of Windsor’s NextStar Energy battery factory has resurfaced, with the Canadian Building Trades Union urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene in the dispute and the federal Conservative Party calling on Parliament to intervene. He plans to raise the issue on Capitol Hill.
CBTU Executive Director Sean Strickland sent a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau earlier this month claiming that the number of temporary foreign workers being used in Windsor is increasing. The federal Conservative Party also announced on Friday that it would take up the issue at this week’s Government Management Committee meeting.
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“We are writing to seek personal intervention to resolve the continued use of foreign workers in the construction of Stellantis and LG’s NextStar EV battery factory in Windsor, Ontario. ,” Strickland wrote in a letter obtained by the Star.
“In recent months, the Canadian Building Trades Union has been working through months of fruitless meetings with Stellantis and LG to reach an agreement to ensure the employment of Canadians during the construction and installation phase of this project. I have been working hard for this.
“Our efforts so far have been unsuccessful due to the stubbornness of LG and Stellantis.”
Strickland argued that NextStar is accelerating its hiring of foreign workers, which is a “slap in the face to Canadian workers.”
The CBTU urges Prime Minister Trudeau to order Stellantis and LG to stop using subcontractors that employ foreign workers instead of Canadian workers, and to stop the flow of foreign workers to NextStar. It called on both companies to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with tax benefits.
Prime Minister Trudeau referenced Strickland’s letter Thursday when he announced Honda would invest $15 billion to build four EV production and battery supply chain plants in Ontario.
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“I am aware that the CBTU has issued a statement to workplaces saying it is working closely with NextStar and Stellantis to provide good jobs for Canadians. This is part of Stellantis and NextStar’s efforts. ” said Prime Minister Trudeau.
“We are here to stay. And I want to emphasize that of the nearly 2,000 construction workers in Windsor, only 72 are foreign workers. That’s because there’s some specialized equipment that Canadians need to be trained on so they can actually do the installation.”
NextStar officials refuted the CBTU’s claims in a company statement. “Unfortunately, there is an inaccurate and negative portrayal of the non-Canadian resident workers needed to temporarily support industrialization prior to the launch of battery factories,” NextStar said.
“There are currently 1,975 workers on site preparing to start up the factory. All but 72 of these workers are Canadian.
“These workers are employed by suppliers on a temporary basis to install their own equipment and are a requirement of their warranty obligations.”
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The company emphasized that when both the module factory and cell production facility are fully optioned, NextStar will employ 2,500 people, all of whom will be Canadian residents.
NextStar said certain specialized foreign workers are currently needed to gain experience and knowledge not available domestically.
“To ensure NextStar Energy’s success as Canada’s first large-scale EV battery manufacturing plant, we are temporarily recruiting world-class talent to train, install, test, validate and deploy our cutting-edge technology. “We must rely on the best know-how and experience, including -art and cutting-edge technology available,” NextStar said.
“This knowledge is imported as needed and transferred to the local workforce, enabling factories to thrive and compete in a globally challenging environment.”
NextStar has confirmed that it will continue to meet regularly with trade unions active in Windsor to clarify its plans for the proposed construction site.
“A number of in-person and/or virtual meetings were held with CBTU and local representatives to share information regarding work plans and timing,” NextStar said.
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“We are committed to holding designated working group meetings at agreed frequencies to continually discuss, actively communicate and address issues on this important project.”
Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Jilek Kusmieczyk said he and other federal government officials met with both sides during construction and told NextStar of the need to limit the number of temporary foreign workers.
“We want to maximize employment for Canadian workers,” Kusmieczyk said, adding that the Conservatives’ plan to raise the issue before the committee would “create a circus and make political hay out of generational investments.” He said that it was an attempt to “create something new.”
“We pushed for the establishment of a workers’ committee made up of company and trade union members to exchange information and address issues.
“Koreans have been making batteries for 30 years and are teaching us in this country. We need people with such specialized knowledge.”
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Kusmierczyk added that the number of foreign workers in such a huge project also needs to be looked at.
“There are currently 2,000 people working at the construction site and 2,500 Canadians will be working at the plant when completed,” Kusmierczyk said. “The total number of workers will be 4,500, and the number of foreign workers will be 72.”
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https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/foreign-workers-issue-reignites-at-windsors-nextstar-plant