Despite half a billion dollars in subsidies from the Canadian and Ontario governments, Ford is pushing startup of EV production at its Oakville, ON plant back by two years, impacting 2,700 workers.The Big Three American automaker said Thursday some employees will remain onsite but there would be layoffs.Ford had previously committed to spending $1.8 billion to transform the Oakville assembly plant into a hub for EV manufacturing including vehicle and battery pack assembly. In a statement, Ford said it would continue to convert the plant as planned starting in the second quarter of this year, but the launch of new ‘three row’ EVs at the plant won’t happen until 2027..“We value our Canadian teammates and appreciate that this delay will have an impact on this excellent team,”Ford president and CEO Jim Farley .The delay is to give “the consumer market more time to develop” the company said, while allowing for further development of EV battery technology.The Oakville site includes three body shops, one paint building and one assembly building.The company’s spending plans were first announced in 2020 as part of union negotiations, with workers seeking long-term production commitments. The federal and Ontario governments each chipped in $295 million to secure the investment.“We value our Canadian teammates and appreciate that this delay will have an impact on this excellent team,” Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said in a statement.The union wasn’t happy with the news.“Unifor is extremely disappointed by the company’s decision. Our members have done nothing but build best-in-class vehicles for Ford Motor Company and they deserve certainty in the company’s future production plans,” said Unifor national President Lana Payne.“I want to be very clear here. Our members can be assured that we will push the company to explore every single possible opportunity to lessen the impact of this decision on them and their families.”
Despite half a billion dollars in subsidies from the Canadian and Ontario governments, Ford is pushing startup of EV production at its Oakville, ON plant back by two years, impacting 2,700 workers.The Big Three American automaker said Thursday some employees will remain onsite but there would be layoffs.Ford had previously committed to spending $1.8 billion to transform the Oakville assembly plant into a hub for EV manufacturing including vehicle and battery pack assembly. In a statement, Ford said it would continue to convert the plant as planned starting in the second quarter of this year, but the launch of new ‘three row’ EVs at the plant won’t happen until 2027..“We value our Canadian teammates and appreciate that this delay will have an impact on this excellent team,”Ford president and CEO Jim Farley .The delay is to give “the consumer market more time to develop” the company said, while allowing for further development of EV battery technology.The Oakville site includes three body shops, one paint building and one assembly building.The company’s spending plans were first announced in 2020 as part of union negotiations, with workers seeking long-term production commitments. The federal and Ontario governments each chipped in $295 million to secure the investment.“We value our Canadian teammates and appreciate that this delay will have an impact on this excellent team,” Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said in a statement.The union wasn’t happy with the news.“Unifor is extremely disappointed by the company’s decision. Our members have done nothing but build best-in-class vehicles for Ford Motor Company and they deserve certainty in the company’s future production plans,” said Unifor national President Lana Payne.“I want to be very clear here. Our members can be assured that we will push the company to explore every single possible opportunity to lessen the impact of this decision on them and their families.”
