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More Efficient, Says Tavares
Stellantis’ Ontario plants must get more effi cient, Tavares warns
Tavares and a group of company execu ves toured the assembly plants in Windsor and Brampton last week. Stellan s’ Ontario plants must boost produc vity and effi ciency to remain compe ve especially as the auto industry makes the costly shi towards electrifi ca on, CEO Carlos Tavares told union offi cials during a recent tour of the automaker’s Ontario factories. Tavares and a group of company execu ves toured the assembly plants in Windsor and Brampton last week. It was his fi rst visit to the factories since the merger last year between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA, and part of an ongoing eff ort to review Stellan s loca ons around the globe. “Tavares talked about the moderniza on of the [Brampton] plant and a diff erent layout … to become more effi cient,” said a statement issued by Unifor Local 1285, which represents about 3,500 hourly workers who assemble the Chrysler 300 sedan and Dodge Charger and Challenger muscle cars. The visits were held against a backdrop of protests, which last week blockaded the Ambassador Bridge, linking Windsor and Detroit, and disrupted auto produc on on both sides of the border. Tavares, according to the union, repeatedly raised the need to boost produc vity. “The corpora on is pleased with the performance of the Brampton plant, but of course the need to improve quality and reduce costs was men oned several mes to remain compe ve with U.S. plants.” Tavares “talked about electrifi ca on and the associated costs.”
Uncertainty hovers over Brampton Assembly. Several auto forecas ng fi rms predict 300 produc on and Dodge Challenger and Charger output will move to Belvidere, Ill., a er 2023 or 2024, leaving that factory without product to build. Tavares in May 2021 said he’s aff ording each of the 14 brands melded together from the merger a 10-year window to execute a business plan. Chrysler brand CEO Chris ne Feuell on Tuesday told Automo ve News Canada that the company plans at least three new EVs, including a produc on version of the electric crossover concept introduced at CES in January, an SUV and a “freshened” minivan, currently assembled for the automaker in Windsor only. Brampton union offi cials said, “while there were no announcements [about new product during Tavares’ visit] and none expected, the tone of mee ngs was posi ve.” Tavares’ tour also came as federal and provincial governments as well as Canadian industry groups ba le growing U.S. protec onism. U.S. President Joe Biden is looking to introduce rebates of up to US$12,500 for purchases of electric vehicles made in the United States. Tavares said that if the U.S. off ers the proposed rebates, the “federal government needs to do the same,” the union said, adding that Stellan s is “in discussions with government for incen ves and grants for the transi on to electric vehicles.” In Windsor, union offi cials reminded the automaker about its pledge to invest up to $1.5 billion to build electrifi ed vehicles by 2024 at the minivan plant, employing about 4,500 workers on two shi s. Both O awa and Queen’s Park have publicly pledged to back the investment with funding. And with a provincial elec on set for June, “I told him [Tavares] there’s a meline,” David Cassidy, president of Local 444, said in a Facebook video update Wednesday. A second shi is slated to end in April – a conten ous issue, which was raised by the union, said Cassidy, whose members assemble the Chrysler Pacifi ca and Grand Caravan, and Voyager for U.S. fl eet sales. “We told him we need to con nue with the second shi .” Tavares was accompanied by Stellan s execu ves including, Mark Stewart, COO, Arnaud Deboeuf, chief manufacturing offi cer, and Mike Resha, head of manufacturing, FCA-North America.
