A national organization representing skilled workers describes NextStar’s plan to use as many as 900 foreign workers to install equipment at the electric-vehicle (EV) battery plant in Windsor, Ont., as an “insult” to Canada’s tradespeople.
Sean Strickland is executive director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU), which represents more than 500,000 skilled trades workers in 14 unions.
He said the work should go to trained Canadians — specifically workers in southwestern Ontario.
“It’s just absolutely unconscionable,” he said.
“We need to find a way to resolve the situation and maximize the number of Canadian jobs on this project.”
Strickland said workers under their umbrella have performed similar “state of the art technology” in the automotive sector for the past 100 years — including battery plants across North America.
He said NextStar’s requirement of 900 foreign workers who have experience with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is beyond industry standards his organization has seen.
Sean Strickland, executive director for the CBTU, says, ‘We need to find a way to resolve the situation and maximize the number of Canadian jobs on this project.’ (Dalson Chen/CBC)
“We traditionally work alongside original equipment manufacturer representatives when we install the equipment, but not 900.”
On Thursday, NextStar confirmed its plan to hire about 1,600 technicians from outside suppliers to assemble, install and test equipment, including up to 900 “temporary specialized global supplier staff,” mainly from South Korea.
“They have specific knowledge of the equipment, having been part of the team to build it and disassemble it for shipping, and will therefore see the installation through,” the company said in a statement.
An aerial view of the construction of the NextStar Energy battery plant in Windsor, as photographed in June. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)
The plant, a partnership between Stellantis and South Korean company LG Energy Solution, is slated to open in 2025, and received $15 billion in federal and provincial subsidies.
Until his trades union secures a meeting with the companies — which Strickland says has yet to take place — he said it’s too difficult to say what would be an acceptable number of workers coming to Windsor for the project.
Trudeau, Poilievre trade barbs over South Korean EV plant workers
Featured VideoPrime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre get into a heated exchange over the NextStar EV battery factory’s use of foreign workers during question period.
Strickland said work continuing at the battery plant adds urgency.
“I know the base of the building is pretty well done. I know they’re pouring concrete and the equipment install is probably going to happen in the next number of weeks,” he said. “It just re-emphasizes the fact that we need to have a conversation with Stellantis and NextStar.”
The Construction Employers Coordinating Council of Ontario and Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario spoke out against NextStar’s plans.
In a joint emailed statement issued Friday, the two groups said their workers have been involved in the construction, installation and maintenance of projects within the auto, EV and battery sector over the last decade.
“The suggestion … workers need to be brought in on permits to get this completed is a false narrative,” the statement said.
“Put simply, there isn’t a project in Ontario that our Ontario contractors and skilled trades workforce can’t build and we urge the company and the government to engage in dialogue with industry to ensure that happens in Windsor.”
Fedeli says Ontario workers will receive training
Vic Fedeli, provincial minister of economic, job development and trade, said Friday he spoke with NextStar CEO Danies Lee about workers coming to Windsor for the project.
“These workers will also assist with training 700 Ontario workers to equip them with net new skills that will lay the groundwork for work on future projects of this kind as we transition to building the cars of the future,” Fedeli said. “To be clear, these temporary workers will come to Windsor to perform this highly specialized work, upskill Ontario workers, and then return home.”
François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of industry, said he spoke to the building trade unions Friday and they’re “very much on the same page.”
“Now, what I want to do is to sit down with the company, sit down with the unions, and — and making sure that we understand fully the landscape,” Champagne said. “What is the minimum required amount of people that we need to transfer the technology, and make sure that Canadians and Canadian workers could operate, build this plant, so that we have benefits for generations to come.”
Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says he’s pushing for a meeting between Canada’s tradespeople union and the companies involved in the Windsor EV battery factory. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
But other industry and economic experts have said bringing foreign workers to set up and install a new project is very much expected.
“This is what’s going to happen with every partnership, especially in the electrification space with a foreign entity, and I think it’s got to be sort of the pill that needs to be swallowed for a short amount of time,” Joe McCabe, president of Auto Forecast Solutions, told CBC News this week.
“Anywhere you’re going to partnership with a foreign entity, you’re going to have representation from that foreign entity … at least for the kickoff, especially in a battery electric field.”
NextStar said Thursday the temporary staff would be working on site anywhere from three to 18 months before returning home.
“These are not permanent full-time jobs,” a spokesperson said.
OTTAWA – Conservative MP Garnett Genuis told a federal inquiry today that parliamentarians who were targeted by Chinese hackers could have taken immediate protective steps if they had been informed sooner.
It emerged earlier this year that in 2021 some MPs and senators faced cyberattacks from the hackers because of their involvement with the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, which pushes for accountability from Beijing.
In 2022, U.S. authorities apparently informed the Canadian government of the attacks, and it in turn advised parliamentary IT officials — but not individual MPs.
Genuis, a Canadian co-chair of the inter-parliamentary alliance, told a federal commission of inquiry on foreign interference today that it remains mysterious to him why he wasn’t informed about the attacks sooner.
Liberal MP John McKay, also a Canadian co-chair of the alliance, said there should be a clear protocol for advising parliamentarians of cyberthreats.
Several weeks of public inquiry hearings will focus on the capacity of federal agencies to detect, deter and counter foreign meddling.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
TORONTO – After being drafted in the third round (61st overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, forward Charlie Sharp decided to put his dream of playing professional football on hold.
He spent a couple of weeks training with Toronto FC that summer and then returned for a fifth year at Western Michigan University.
“It was a really tough decision for me,” Sharp recalled. “Because I knew that going back to school, nothing was guaranteed. I could get injured or not perform well, but it seemed to really work out for me.”
Sharp scored 19 goals and added eight assists as a senior, leading the Broncos to a 17-2-3 record and a third-round appearance in the NCAA tournament where they eventually lost to national runner-up Notre Dame on penalty kicks. Sharp, who scored or assisted in nine of his last 10 matches, ranked first in the NCAA with 0.95 goals per game and 2.30 points per game and was tied for second with seven game-winning goals.
The 23-year-old Sharp, whose rights were retained by Toronto, spent time with the TFC first team in this year’s pre-season and signed with Toronto FC II in February. On Tuesday, he joined TFC 2 teammate Nate Edwards, a wingback from Brampton, Ont., in signing a first-team contract.
“We are happy to officially elevate Charlie at this time,” Toronto GM Jason Hernandez said in a statement Tuesday. “His strong mentality and mature playing style will be a welcomed addition to our young player group in the first team.”
Both players signed contracts that run through 2025 with club options for 2026 and 2027.
The deals were completed in advance of Friday’s MLS roster freeze but took their time working their way through the league office.
“A bit of unorthodox path that I chose,” said Sharp. “But I think you’re seeing it more now with players that get drafted.”
“I’m super-happy,” he added. “I think I made the right decision.”
As a senior, Sharp was one of three finalists for the 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy, which honours the top NCAA soccer player. The award eventually went to Clemson senior forward Ousmane Sylla.
The six-foot-five 185-pounder from Brighton, Mich., finished his collegiate career with 42 goals 22 assists, and 106 points in 89 games. He ranks first in career goals and games and tied for fourth in assists for Western Michigan.
In returning to Kalamazoo for a fifth year, Sharp also succeeded off the pitch by completing his degree in computer information systems.
Despite some niggling injuries, Sharp has five goals and two assists in 16 appearances with TFC 2 this season. He made his first-team debut off the bench May 15 against Nashville.
“I had a lot of friends and family watching,” he said.
“It’s been a journey,” Sharp added. “I’ve been thankful for every step of the way.,”
The 21-year-old Edwards has one goal and two assists in 23 games with TFC’s MLS Next Pro team.
“He has been a top performer with TFC II this season and we look forward to his continued growth within our environment,” said Hernandez
Edwards, who also joined TFC 2 in February, made his first-team debut May 21 in Canadian Championship play against Ligue1 Quebec champion CS Saint-Laurent.
The five-foot-eight 167-pounder split his college career between Syracuse University and Purdue University Fort Wayne. As a senior in 2023, he had one goal and four assists for Syracuse and was named to the 2023 All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Academic Team and College Sport Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.
At Purdue University Fort Wayne, he had two goals and an assist in 40 appearances across three seasons (2020-2022) with the Mastodons.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
CALGARY – A Calgary man who pleaded guilty to sharing Islamic State recruitment videos and propaganda on TikTok will spend the next six years behind bars.
Zakarya Rida Hussein was sentenced during a court appearance on Friday after he pleaded guilty to one of four terrorism-related charges.
Hussein admitted that he owned social media accounts that posted ISIS recruitment videos and propaganda.
He also admitted to sharing a bomb-making video online.
The man was arrested in June 2023 after a joint investigation led by the RCMP and the Calgary Police Service.
Hussein will need to submit DNA results and will be under lifetime ban from owning firearms after he’s released.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
