This is the third in a three-part series, The Real Cost of Electric Vehicles, that delves into the future of electric vehicles and the impact electrification will have on Windsor Essex.the first day we saw affordable pricesWhat I saw on the second day was Environmental impact.
For 23 years, Jayson Mercier packed a meal and left home to work at the Windsor Assembly Plant.
The company, the largest employer in the southwestern Ontario city, is about to undergo some big changes as factory owner Stellantis makes a big move towards electrifying its cars. . Times are changing, from a $4.9 billion investment to build a new electric vehicle (EV) battery factory and a $3.6 billion investment to revamp both Windsor and Brampton fully electric vehicle assembly plants. .
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“I’m optimistic. I know it will bring in a lot of work. I hope it will move to my factory,” said Mercier on a January afternoon as he prepared for the day’s shift. said while
“We’ve taken quite a hit over the last 20 years, so I’m looking forward to making some profit.”
As an auto worker in Windsor, he has experienced layoffs, shutdowns and the loss of the factory’s third shift.
When the battery plant was unveiled in March 2022, it promised to be the energy jolt needed by the local auto industry, especially after the assembly plant was cut to two shifts. Although the third shift is likely to return, there are concerns that factory staff may also be cut as the city transitions to vehicle electrification.
“We are going to be short”
Reuters reported at a conference in Detroit in November that Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley said building an electric car would require 40 percent less labor than current combustion-powered cars. It was reported that he said
Dave Cassidy, president of Local Unifor 444, also expects a reduction.
“We will be short,” he said.
He said that in three shifts using ICE vehicles, the factory could employ 6,000 members, but it’s not clear how many jobs will be created by the shift to battery-electric vehicle assembly, but it will be. He said he expected it to be possible. Ultimately, three shifts will see him down to 3,500 to 3,800 jobs. The factory currently operates two shifts and employs approximately 4,000 people.
“You can’t tell just by having this negative loss in the assembly plant itself, we’re not even talking about the feeder plant,” says Cassidy.
However, given that the transition will result in assembly plants building multiple vehicles (including battery electric, hybrid and internal combustion vehicles), assembly lines will need additional staff “for some time”. he added.
“My ultimate goal for that is to be able to have a group that can travel between the two facilities,” he said.
“Once you become our local member, you are here for life.
Stellantis did not confirm whether cuts would actually be made at the plant, but chief operating officer Mark Stewart said the goal was to keep as many jobs as possible for those moving forward. I was.
Stewart told the CBC, “Everyone is learning how much work can be done in this space, so we don’t have a full grasp of it yet, but we want to be able to maximize that.
white collar opportunities
Assembly plants will change with the imminent announcement of the first new electric vehicles to be produced on site, while the battery plant, which is expected to be operational by 2024, will create about 2,500 new jobs and thousands of potential spin-offs. I promise.
Invest Windsor-Essex (IWE) and Workforce Windsor-Essex (WFWE) are already working to meet this moment of transition.
“We are taking the approach of looking at how to retrain the existing workforce for those who wish to transition to the EV supply chain. , we’re also taking ways to grow talent locally here. Come to the region,” said Matthew Johnson, IWE’s Director of Mobility Partnerships and Innovation.
WFWE CEO Justin Falconer said the organization is working with local post-secondary schools and IWE to promote electric vehicle careers, announce new job opportunities, and bring educational opportunities to the public. He explained that they are developing a new website to inform them.
“We expect … we expect that there will be many high-value, high-paying jobs in mechanical, electrical and even chemical engineering. It builds a supply chain,” explains Falconer.
Schools charging for an EV future
St. Clair’s College will launch two electric vehicle maintenance programs this fall: the Diploma of Electric Vehicle Technician and the Fundamentals of Electric Vehicles Certification Program. Both were recently approved by the Ministry of Universities (MCU).
Waseem Habash, Senior Vice President of Academic and University Operations at St. Clair, said the school has been preparing for this transition for several years.
“We’re really excited because this puts Windsor on the map and gives alumni, the younger generation and the next generation the opportunity to have jobs for a long time,” Habash said.
The University of Windsor will offer a new mechatronics engineering program with a focus on electric vehicle manufacturing and production. If approved, the school said it hopes to offer the program in the fall of 2024.
For young mechanical engineer Madeleine McQueen, the movement of electric vehicles is a thrill. She is a research and development engineer at the university’s Hybrid Vehicle Research and Green Energy Center (charging) lab focused on electric motor research.
“I think it’s really exciting as a young engineer, like stepping into my career at this point,” she said. “I see a field of opportunity.”
cautious optimism
Despite some uncertainty about the future, many auto workers are optimistic about what it means to build electric vehicles soon.
“The factory is based on sales.
Assembly plant worker Paul Alford said, “I’m very excited to see what comes in. If it’s successful, it will encourage workers to try and get the third shift back.” is another bonus for us.”
For Mercier, thinking about the future can be “a bit scary.”
“Uncertainty is probably the biggest problem of all. Nothing is decided, right?” he said.
Though cautiously optimistic, he said he believed the union would always take the lead in helping workers.
Cassidy is confident this change will ultimately be good for workers across the map.
“I don’t think there will be winners and losers,” Cassidy said.
“It will be a win-win from now on.”
