1,500 jobs to be cut at Windsor auto plant

Roughly 1,500 jobs will be eliminated later this year at a Windsor assembly plant.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says in order to better align production with global demand, it is cutting the third shift starting Sept. 30.

The company made the announcement Thursday and says retirement packages will be offered to eligible employees and it will work to find positions for others.

The Windsor plant produces the Chrysler Pacifica and its Hybrid version, as well as the Dodge Grand Caravan.

Premier Doug Ford said his government will “fight tooth and nail” to protect the jobs of the auto workers in Windsor.

“My message to Fiat Chrysler is this: do not make this decision based on the anti-business policies of the former government over the past 15 years,” said Ford in a news release. “Our government is lowering taxes, lowering electricity rates and slashing red tape. There has never been a better time for auto manufacturers to invest in the province of Ontario.”

Ford says his government is committed to “turning the page” so the province can once again become the “economic engine of Canada.”