In Canada’s car capital of Windsor, auto workers brace for the worst

A Loton has worked for more than a century in the auto sector of Canada.

Her children are “Ford Ford Workers of the fifth generation”, Catherine Laon said, and both she and her husband work for a car manufacturer in Windsor, the heart of the Canadian automobile sector, which is just a bridge from the US state of Michigan.

So when US President Donald Trump Suggested that Canada stole America Auto industry, Chad Loton calls it “Ludikrus”.

“These were never American jobs. These were Canadian jobs,” he told the BBC, the day Trump’s auto tariffs were applicable.

“They have always been Canadian jobs, and they are living in Canadian jobs because we did not take them from them. We made them, we retained them.”

Catherine agreed: “This Ford City is here.”

South-Western Ontario, distant, Windsor and the surrounding Essex County now finds itself on one of the forward rows of Trump’s trade war as it faces 25% tariffs on foreign-made vehicles (although for Canada, it will reduce the 50% US-manufactured components or more than the cars made with more and more). Tarifs.

American tariff is expected on auto parts next month.

The area of ​​only 422,000 increased with Detroit – Nickname of Motor City for its role as an auto manufacturing hub – turned the area into an important center for North American automobile production.

Ford first established her presence in Windsor in 1896, while the first Stelantis (then Chrysler) factory arrived in 1928, in which dozens of factories and suppliers spring around the city and surrounding area in the coming decades.

Most of the manufacturing has left the city, although it still claims two Ford engine factories and a Stellentis Assembly plant, which employs thousands.

Workers on both sides of the border have manufactured iconic vehicles over decades, recently models such as Dodge Charger and Ford F -150.

Some 24,000 people work directly in the automotive industry in Windsor-ASEX, while the estimated 120,000 other jobs depend on the field.

The Ford feels like a trip in a drive time through the neighborhood around the factory, showing classic bungalows from the last century. Many people have seen better days, although each one claims a verandah and small front yard. The city’s motor vehicle celebrates large murals that celebrate history.

Windsar has faced the challenges of the North American auto sector with Michigan, as the industry shares a deep integrated supply chain.

Chad Laon points to the 2008 financial crisis, when the big three American vehicle manufacturers – Ford, General Motors and Chrysler – faced shocking losses, and GM and Chrysler received billions in American boundaries to avoid bankruptcy.

This period “bad, not only for the next door, but we had passed by a very, very thick time”, he said.

“This seems to be the same. The level of concern with the workers, the level of fear, the idea and belief that it is just something that is completely out of your control that you cannot wrap your head around what to do.”

John D’Anolo, president of Unifor Local 200, who represents Ford workers in Windsor, stated that the situation has “created havoc”.

“I think we are going to see a recession,” he said.

He continued: “People are not going to buy anything. I ask my members not to buy anything. They pay rent and food for their children.”

Does the tariffs make such a difficult pill to swallow for auto workers, the BBC has talked that the situation has been brought by the US, Canada’s nearest economic and security colleague.

“It sounds like a stab in the back,” 27 -year -old Austin Veljel said, an assembly line worker in Stelanis. “This is almost like our neighbors, our friends – they don’t want to work with us.”

Christina Grosi, who has worked in Ford for 25 years, said that her job is likely to lose, and what it would mean to her family, is “terrible”.

But Ms. GRSI also fears that she loses the meaning of her work.

“You have been doing this for so long and you really are proud of it, you are proud of what you are out to the public,” he said. “And now someone is removing the opportunity to do so.”

Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders coalition, said that tariffs can cause major upheaval in the entire region due to their deep integration, when exports from Canada stop for more than a week, the ripple effect is felt throughout the continent.

He said that the American tariff structure is extremely complex.

Cars crossing the border will require every component to be assessed for “qualification materials” – where it is produced, the cost of labor to produce, and – if it contains steel or aluminum – where the metal came.

“Each part of an automobile is truly under a microscope where it was produced and how,” he said.

American tariffs have been a major factor in the Canadian general election, which is on April 28, Canadian political parties have rolled out the suites of plans on the campaign trail to help the auto sector.

Liberal leader Mark Carney, the current Prime Minister, has promised to promote competition and create a “All-in-Canada” auto component parts network as well as to protect manufacturing jobs C $ 2BN ($ 1.4bn; £ 1.1bn) funds to protect manufacturing jobs.

In his role as Prime Minister, he reported C $ 35 billion in counter auto tariffs, in addition to already declared mutual measures in the US last week.

Conservative, conservative leader Pierre Pilevre, the main rival of Carney, has vowed to create a fund for tariffs affected by tariffs to help the sales tax on Canadian vehicles and keep their employees.

Jagmeet Singh, whose leftist new Democratic Party is fighting for a competitive seat in Windsor, has promised to use every dollar from counter tariffs to help workers and prevent manufacturers from transferring equipment to go to America.

Nevertheless, Windser’s economy is dependent on vehicle manufacturers, and depends on the trade with the United States. If it stumbles, everything – from restaurant to charity – will feel the effect.

The penalty box is a sports bar below the road from the stalentis plant, and is popular with the workers there.

“We are one of the busiest restaurants. I don’t want to say it, but if you ask about the penalty box, they will tell you,” said its 70 -year -old owner van Niforos. “We eat 1,000 a day.”

With a white apron and a wide smile, he belongs to his 33 -year history. But when the face of the auto sector is asked about the danger, he dies.

“This is a disastrous situation. I don’t want to think about it,” he said.

“We provide employment to 60 people and we are open six days a week. (If something happens with the Stelanis plant), will we be able to work 60 people at all.”

Chad Laon, sitting in his office in the local union, takes a deep breath because he consider how uncertain his life is.

They do not think that Carney’s counter tariffs help in the current situation, arguing that they “simply spoil a very bad situation”.

He hopes to have space for business talks, but he said that he would first say that Canada would “only accept and roll”.

“I have worked for a Ford Motor Company for almost 31 years, and I have never seen anything close to it,” he said.

“This includes Kovid, because at least with Kovid, we knew what we were doing. And there was some certainty.”

“It is all on the map.”