Chrysler Canada axes 1,200 jobs

Chrysler Canada announced the closure of the third shift at its Windsor, Ontario, minivan assembly plant, laying off 1,200 workers.

Company spokeswoman Mary Gauthier told the Windsor Star the global economic downturn was the reason for the layoffs to begin after June 24.

Even though our minivan was the third-best selling nameplate in Canada last month, the fact we export 85 percent of our product to the U.S. means that the third shift cannot be sustained, she said.

The entire Windsor plant was idled for six weeks beginning mid-December because of inventory piling up on dealer lots, the Toronto Star said.

Rick Laporte, president of Canadian Auto Workers union in the city, said at least 600 other feeder industry jobs would be affected by the layoffs and told the Windsor newspaper he wasn’t optimistic.

We’re at the point in this industry where we have lost the consumers’ confidence and I don’t see anything changing in the next little while, he said.