Federal auto strategy could help keep Windsor Assembly’s third shift running, Unifor auto council chair says

CTV Windsor’s Sanjay Maru has reaction to the auto policy announced on Thursday.

Reaction in Windsor’s auto sector is cautiously optimistic following the federal government’s new automotive strategy, which local voices say could bring a measure of stability to an industry facing growing uncertainty driven in part by cross-border tariffs and shifting EV timelines.

The strategy includes incentives for Canadian-built vehicles, new transition supports for workers, and measures aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and EV adoption.

Unifor Auto Council Chair John D’Agnolo says the most important element is simply having a national framework in place after years of uncertainty.

“It’s a start. I’m happy to see a policy,” D’Agnolo said. “It’s so important that we have some type of protection. This policy gives us an opportunity to have jobs.”

D’Agnolo, who also serves as president of Unifor Local 200, which represents workers at Ford’s Essex Engine Plant in Windsor, says incentives tied to Canadian-built models could help sustain production locally and keep shifts running.

“So hopefully that’ll create jobs and keep that third shift going,” said D’Agnolo, referring to the 1,500 jobs that Stellantis has previously said are expected to be added at Windsor Assembly sometime this month.

He adds that training and transition supports will be critical as automation and new technologies continue to reshape factory floors.

“Recently, I was in a meeting, and they were talking about humanoids. They’re real. They have them in the plants today,” D’Agnolo said. “So, technology is changing, and you have to have the training to make sure we’re successful.”

From the business community, early reaction has also been positive, with hopes the plan will bring more predictability to manufacturers and suppliers.

Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce CEO Ryan Donally says aligning production targets more closely with consumer demand could benefit the region’s extensive supply chain.

“When new vehicles are released, new products are released, that’s when our tier one, tier two and tier three shops do very, very well,” Donally said.

He says allowing automakers to adjust their production plans more naturally could lead to more model launches and, in turn, more work for local companies.

“The demand that’s out there in the economy for EV vehicles seems to not match up with the targets that were set for 2035,” said Donally. “That creates uncertainty. By bumping that back a little while, that should allow the pace of adoption to be a little bit more natural.”

Former Windsor West MP Brian Masse, who spent years advocating for a national auto strategy, welcomed the plan’s focus on affordability, noting the rising cost of vehicles has made it harder for younger buyers to get into the market.

“Vehicles shouldn’t basically require you to have a mortgage to get one. The price points today are unacceptable,” said Masse.

Masse points to provisions that reward Canadian-built vehicles as a key change from past policies which, he says, sometimes excluded models produced in Windsor.

“This time, there’s a special carve-out for Canadian-made vehicles,” he said. “That carve-out is huge.”

Still, he believes the real test will come in the months and years ahead.

“If they follow through, and they use it to measure the progress, the jobs, the investment, how we meet our targets, then they will have done a good job with that,” Masse said.

Peter Frise, an automotive engineering professor at the University of Windsor says the strategy marks a notable shift because Canada has never had a truly national auto policy as comprehensive as what the federal government announced Tuesday.

“It addresses the needs of workers, the needs of industry, incentives for consumers and charging infrastructure,” Frise said.

He also emphasizes the importance of stability for both manufacturers and buyers, noting the long timelines involved in vehicle production and ownership.

“Policy stability is everything,” Frise said. “These investments live a long time, many decades.”

Frise adds that consumer sentiment appears to favour domestic production, pointing to a recent KPMG poll which shows about three-quarters of Canadians in the market for a car want to buy one that was assembled in Canada.

“The average age of a car on a Canadian road is over 10 years. So, people won’t buy a car unless they know that the dealership will be there with parts and service for them,” said Frise. “So, this policy is very important.”