NextStar Energy Inc. says it expects upwards of 900 foreign workers to help build its heavily subsidized electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont. The head of Canada’s Building Trades Unions calls the move “a slap in the face” and an “insult to Canadian taxpayers.”
The statement from the union comes as the use of the workers has become a political issue on Parliament Hill, raising questions and concerns over the course of the past week from federal leaders.
The company, jointly owned by Stellantis and South Korea-based LG Corp., says the temporary global staff will be part of the roughly 1,600 technicians its external suppliers will use to assemble, install and test specialized equipment.
“Bringing approximately 900 South Korean workers to handle the installation of this equipment is not only an insult to Canadian taxpayers who funded this project with the understanding that jobs were going to Canadians, but it is a slap in the face to our workers and contractors, including those in Windsor, who are the most highly-skilled tradespeople in the world,” said Sean Strickland, president of Canada’s Building Trades Unions.
The estimate of 900 temporary foreign workers comes a week after Windsor police posted on social media that upwards of 1,600 South Koreans would be coming to help build the plant, raising concerns from labour leaders and politicians about how many local jobs would be created by the plant.
NextStar says that it remains committed to creating 2,500 full-time jobs for Canadians to run the completed plant, and that the construction company it has contracted will employ 1,600 Canadian tradespeople directly and through subcontractors.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre said Monday his party is demanding a “full inquiry” into the federal government’s contract with Stellantis after reports of the taxpayer-subsidized battery plant in Ontario potentially using international workers. Poilievre said the terms of the contract should be made public and that no money should go to the employment of temporary foreign workers.
Federal Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said earlier this week that he expects the company will bring in a few foreign workers to help with the project, but expects the company to prioritize Canadian workers.
On Wednesday, Employment Minister Randy Boissonault said during question period that only one temporary foreign worker has been approved for the project.
Still, this is cold comfort for Canada’s Building Trades Unions, which represents around half a million workers across 60 different trades and 12 labour unions.
“We’re at the beginning of truly grasping the impact, but we can already share that Canada is losing out on millions of valuable hours for its workers. Canada’s Building Trades Unions is hopeful that we can sit down with NextStar management in the nearterm to fully understand their intentions in Windsor,” Strickland said.
The battery plant is expected to draw upwards of $15 billion in government funding through incentives linked partially to how many batteries it produces.
More to come
— with files from The Canadian Press
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