Stellantis is laying off workers at its assembly plant in Windsor, Ont., as the company shifts away from its electric muscle car.
“A small number” of workers received layoff notices Friday, according to Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin.
“The layoffs are based on seniority and are a result of regular volume adjustments at the plant,” Gosselin said.
The company would not confirm the number of impacted employees. The union representing the plant’s workers did not respond to a request for comment.
The news comes on the last day of work before the plant’s regular summer shutdown.
It also comes at a time of heightened anxiety for auto workers in Canada, especially those in Windsor, where the economy relies heavily on the industry.
Workers optimistic
Employees at the Windsor assembly plant have faced temporary layoffs in recent months as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada and levies on the auto sector — though carve-outs for products that comply with CUSMA, the countries’ existing trade deal, have softened the blow.
The handful of workers who spoke to CBC Friday outside the Windsor assembly plant said they expect workers to be back on the job before long.
“Could be a couple weeks,” Emanuele Caruana said.
“Right now things aren’t looking too good, but they’re going to be good soon.”
Dixon Bell described the layoffs as “not good” but said he too believed workers would be brought back eventually.
Dave Lumley isn’t worried at all, he said, and predicted the workers would be back on the job before Christmas.
“It’s just temporary,” he said. “It’s just a small amount. That happens a lot. It comes and goes. It’s only 100 people.”
Lumley attributed the layoffs to changes in Dodge Charger production at the plant.
“We have a battery area, and … we’re not building batteries,” he said.
“Everybody wants gas, so they’re trying to transition. That’s mainly what it is.”
In May, Stellantis announced that it was postponing production of the Dodge Charger Daytona R/T, the base model of the first-of-their-kind electrified muscle cars, just a year after introducing them with great fanfare. The global automaker has blamed U.S. tariffs for the decision, but the move also followed weak sales amid a dampening EV market.
Workers at the Windsor plant assemble both the Chargers and the company’s minivan offerings, including the Chrysler Pacifica.
Last week, Stellantis unveiled the 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack, equipped with an inline-six twin turbo engine, after months of pleading from gear heads to bring back gas-powered versions of the previously popular muscle cars.
