12.71°C Vancouver

Apr 25, 2024 6:02 PM - The Canadian Press

Conservatives, NDP demand Ottawa protect Canadians' jobs at new EV plants

Share On
conservatives-ndp-demand-ottawa-protect-canadians-jobs-at-new-ev-plants
Canada's Building Trades Union says Canadian workers are being sidelined in favour of foreign workers at the NextStar battery plant in Windsor, Ont., owned by Stellantis and LG Energy Solution.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

Federal Conservatives and New Democrats are demanding assurances from Ottawa that local jobs will be protected at new electric-vehicle plants.

Canada's Building Trades Union says Canadian workers are being sidelined in favour of foreign workers at the NextStar battery plant in Windsor, Ont., owned by Stellantis and LG Energy Solution.

Both Stellantis and the federal government say foreign workers account for just 72 jobs, and specialized equipment is being installed that Canadians will be taught to use.

But the union's executive director Sean Strickland says those are tasks that Canadian workers can already handle.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the latest multi-billion dollar EV project in southern Ontario today as the Canadian auto industry sees a battery-powered renaissance.

Trudeau sidestepped a question about how jobs for Canadian workers can be protected under the Honda deal.

Latest news

AlbertaMay 12, 2026

Elections Alberta says Centurion Project leader not co-operating in voter list leak probe

Elections Alberta says the man linked to a major voter information leak has not co-operated with an ongoing investigation into the unauthorized use of the province’s official voter registry. In a statement, the agency said Centurion Project leader David Parker has not complied with a cease-and-desist letter issued last week. The letter required Parker to sign a declaration confirming he would stop using Alberta’s official voter list, which contains the names and addresses of nearly three million residents. According to Elections Alberta, investigators identified the Centurion Project as th
b-c-nurses-vote-overwhelmingly-in-favour-of-strike-action
BCMay 12, 2026

B.C. nurses vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action

Members of the British Columbia Nurses Union have voted 98.2 per cent in favour of strike action as contract negotiations with the province remain stalled. The union said more than 50,000 of its roughly 55,000 members participated in the vote after bargaining talks reached an impasse in April. Key issues in negotiations include wages, benefits and ongoing staffing shortages across the health-care system. The BCNU has not announced a strike date. Any potential job action would follow further negotiations and could involve mediation or additional bargaining steps under provincial labour rules. T
canadian-foreign-affairs-minister-anita-anand-begins-official-visits-to-oman-and-qatar
CanadaMay 12, 2026

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand begins official visits to Oman and Qatar

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand has begun official visits to Oman and Qatar aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and advancing cooperation on regional and economic priorities. According to Global Affairs Canada, Anand will remain in Muscat and Doha until May 15 for meetings with senior government officials focused on defence cooperation, trade, and people-to-people connections between Canada and Gulf states. In Oman, Anand is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi and other senior officials. Discussions are expected to include economic
oakridge-park-mall-in-vancouver-to-open-may-28-as-major-redevelopment-project-advances
BCMay 12, 2026

Oakridge Park mall in Vancouver to open May 28 as major redevelopment project advances

Oakridge Park, the retail and residential redevelopment under construction in Vancouver, is scheduled to open its shopping mall component on May 28, developers QuadReal Property Group and Westbank announced. The project, located at the former Oakridge Centre site, is part of a broader redevelopment expected to total about five million square feet by its planned completion in 2029. Developers have previously estimated the full project cost at approximately $6.5 billion. According to project details released by QuadReal and Westbank, the first phase opening later this month will include about 2.
alberta-ndp-accuses-smith-government-of-avoiding-accountability-in-privacy-breach-response
AlbertaMay 12, 2026

Alberta NDP accuses Smith government of avoiding accountability in privacy breach response

Alberta’s Opposition NDP is accusing Premier Danielle Smith of allowing a United Conservative caucus staffer to take responsibility for a privacy breach involving Albertans’ personal information. The issue stems from an April meeting where private information was allegedly displayed through an app used during discussions attended by UCP caucus members and staff. According to the UCP caucus, a staffer present at the meeting later briefed the caucus executive director about the incident. Smith said the information was not passed on to her office by the executive director, resulting in a dela

Related News