Unifor 444 president calls on Windsor Assembly workers to send strong message to Stellantis

Workers arrive for their shift at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) assembly plant in Windsor, Ont., on June 12, 2018. Federal Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains says he'll travel to Windsor Saturday to offer support to workers facing layoffs by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. The company announced Thursday it would cut the third shift at its Windsor plant at the end of September at a loss of about 1,500 jobs. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins

The president of Unifor Local 444 is asking his Windsor Assembly Plant members to vote ‘yes’ at Saturday’s strike authorization meeting.

James Stewart took to social media Wednesday morning and posted a video about Saturday’s vote.

He says the meeting won’t take long and says it’s important members send a strong message to Stellantis.

“Traditionally strike authorization vote is only 15 or 20 minutes long,” says Stewart.

As AM800 news reported last week, hourly and trades members will vote in person inside The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor starting at 10 a.m.

Stewart says registration begins at 9 a.m.

“The meeting will start at 10 a.m., and the ballot box will open shortly after the start of the meeting,” says Stewart.

He says the union will give a quick message about bargaining and discuss why the strike authorization is so important.

“We are asking you to support the bargaining committee,” he says. “We’re asking you to vote yes. It is important to send a strong message to the company that we have a strong mandate from our members to be successful in this bargaining.”

Contract negotiations between the union and the automaker opened September 1, but talks stalled September 11 following 10 days of negotiations, with the key issue being around commitments from Stellantis and the future of the idled Brampton Assembly Plant, which the automaker wants to sell to Canadian armoured vehicle maker Roshel.

Unifor announced last Tuesday that the union would hold strike authorization votes as contract talks with Stellantis remain stalled.

The union represents more than 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada, including 6,400 workers at the Windsor Assembly Plant, which assembles the Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Voyager, and Grand Caravan minivan, along with the Dodge Charger.