Chrysler Canada idles 1,500 workers

A parts shortage led to Chrysler Canada sending 1,500 workers home early Wednesday in the border city of Windsor, Ontario, union officials said.

The workers on the minivan assembly line were told at 9 a.m. there weren’t enough engine brackets and transmission mounts from Solus Manufacturing Ltd. to maintain the shift, the Windsor Star reported.

Solus, located northeast of Windsor, is one of thousands of financially troubled automotive suppliers that specializes in die cast parts.

Rick Laporte, president of a Canadian Auto Workers union local in Windsor told the newspaper things looked gloomy for at least a few days.

We could be down the rest of the week, he said.

Chrysler and General Motors in Canada are both seeking federal funds to see them through the recession that’s driven unemployment claims up more than 90 percent in the Ontario cities of Windsor and Oshawa.