https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/windsor-protests-hit-ford-motors-supply-chain-forcing-it-to-idle-engine-plant
Ford, Toyota and now GM halt production as trucker blockade chokes off parts
GM said on Thursday it was forced to cancel two production shifts at a plant in Michigan as a result of the Canadian protests
Feb 09, 2022 • 25 minutes ago • 5 minute read •
General Motors Co said on Thursday it was forced to cancel two production shifts at a plant in Michigan where it builds sport utility vehicles as a result of the Canadian trucking protests.
Both Ford Motor Co and Toyota Motor Corp said on Wednesday they had been forced to halt some operations because of supply chain disruptions stemming from protests that have snarled traffic at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor. Chrysler-maker Stellantis has also been disrupted.
Toyota, the top U.S. seller, said it was not expecting to produce vehicles at its Ontario sites for the rest of the week.
Ford’s engine plant in Windsor is shut down and the schedule cut back at its Oakville assembly plant outside Toronto that makes the Edge model, spokesperson Said Deep said Wednesday an email. The automaker is continuing to ship engine inventory to U.S. plants, he added.
The blockade of the Ambassador Bridge by protesters angry over Covid restrictions is in its third day, with no end in sight. Windsor officials said Wednesday they prefer a negotiated settlement over using force to tow away the vehicles that have clogged the city’s streets and prevented trucks from crossing the border.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said the city’s police department is negotiating with multiple groups to try to persuade them to voluntarily leave the city’s streets so the bridge can be fully reopened. Even as they negotiate, Dilkens said they can’t let protests go on too long because of the threat of economic damage — including the potential impact on U.S.-Canada trade and the auto plants in Ontario and
“We need to plan for a protracted protest,†Dilkens said in a press conference in Windsor. “We are striving to resolve this issue safely and peacefully. Our community will not tolerate this situation for long. Every hour this protests continues, our community hurts.â€
Dilkens said the city fears bringing in tow trucks would inflame the situation on the ground, where 50 to 75 vehicles and about 100 protesters remain after two days.
“You have people on the ground that say this cause is so passionate for them that they are willing to die for it,†Dilkens said. “It’s fair to say for all of us that we don’t want to see people get hurt. You’re trying to have a rational conversation and not every person on the ground is a rational actor.â€
Chrysler-maker Stellantis has also faced a shortage of parts at its assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario, where it had to end shifts early on Tuesday, but was able to resume production on Wednesday.
“The Windsor Assembly Plant had to cut short its first and second shifts on Tuesday due to parts shortages,†Stellantis said in a statement on Wednesday. “The plant resumed production this morning. We continue to work closely with our carriers to get parts into the plant to mitigate further disruptions.â€
The blockades are on course to cause layoffs for the very people that the protesters say they represent, warned Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association.
The blockades are on course to cause layoffs for the very people protesters say they represent, warned Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association.
Volpe said choking off truck traffic between the two countries was a “brain dead moveâ€.
“By allowing the protests to continue, we’re giving the impression that you can take over the country with a couple Hyundai Tucsons and a flimsy cover that you’re representing a group that has clearly said you do not,†Volpe told the Guardian.
Rob Wildeboer may have to decide as soon as Thursday whether the protest that is blocking the Ambassador Bridge will require him to furlough some of his several thousand factory workers.
Wildeboer, 62, the chairman of Martinrea International, which produces components for every global automaker, said Wednesday that the protests are within hours of halting some of his production lines. The company’s engine blocks, transmissions, subframes and brake lines can be found in GM Sierra pickup trucks, Ford Escapes and Jeep Grand Cherokees.
Each day, Wildeboer’s trucks make 38 trips across the Ambassador Bridge, shuttling half-finished products between company plants in both countries.
“We make a part Monday morning, it’s probably on a vehicle by Wednesday,†Wildeboer said.
Washington is working with authorities across the border to reroute traffic to the Blue Water Bridge, which links Port Huron in Michigan with Sarnia in Ontario, amid worries protests could turn violent, she told reporters.
More than two-thirds of the C$650 billion ($511 billion) in goods traded annually between Canada and the United States is transported by road.
“I think it’s important for everyone in Canada and the United States to understand what the impact of this blockage is – potential impact – on workers, on the supply chain, and that is where we’re most focused,†White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.
“We’re also looking to track potential disruptions to U.S. agricultural exports from Michigan into Canada.â€
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem called for a swift resolution.
“If there were to be prolonged blockages at key entry points into Canada that could start to have a measurable impact on economic activity,†he said.
“We’ve already got a strained global supply chain. We don’t need this.â€
The protests were disrupting jobs too and “must end before further damage occurs,†Canada’s Emergency Preparedness Minister, Bill Blair, told reporters.
Protesters say they are peaceful, but some Ottawa residents have said they were attacked and harassed. In Toronto, streets were being blocked.
“We continue to know that science and public health rules and guidance is the best way to this pandemic is the way we’re going to get to the other side,†said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The issue has caused a sharp split between the ruling Liberals and the opposition Conservatives, many of whom have expressed open support for the protesters in Ottawa and accuse Trudeau of using the mandates issue for political purposes.
In the United States, prosecutors in Missouri and Texas will probe crowd funding service GoFundMe over the decision to take down a page for a campaign in support of the drivers after some Republicans vowed to investigate.
Downtown Ottawa residents criticized police for their initially permissive attitude toward the blockade, but authorities began trying to take back control Sunday night with the seizure of thousands of liters of fuel and the removal of an oil tanker truck.
Police have asked for reinforcements – both officers and people with legal expertise in insurance and licensing – suggesting intentions to pursue enforcement through commercial vehicle licenses.
But as the authorities attempt to quell demonstrations in one area, they pop up elsewhere.
“Even as we have made some headway in Ottawa, we’ve seen an illegal blockade emerge in Windsor,†said Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.
Ford, Toyota and now GM halt production as trucker blockade chokes off parts
GM said on Thursday it was forced to cancel two production shifts at a plant in Michigan as a result of the Canadian protests
Feb 09, 2022 • 25 minutes ago • 5 minute read •
General Motors Co said on Thursday it was forced to cancel two production shifts at a plant in Michigan where it builds sport utility vehicles as a result of the Canadian trucking protests.
Both Ford Motor Co and Toyota Motor Corp said on Wednesday they had been forced to halt some operations because of supply chain disruptions stemming from protests that have snarled traffic at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor. Chrysler-maker Stellantis has also been disrupted.
Toyota, the top U.S. seller, said it was not expecting to produce vehicles at its Ontario sites for the rest of the week.
Ford’s engine plant in Windsor is shut down and the schedule cut back at its Oakville assembly plant outside Toronto that makes the Edge model, spokesperson Said Deep said Wednesday an email. The automaker is continuing to ship engine inventory to U.S. plants, he added.
The blockade of the Ambassador Bridge by protesters angry over Covid restrictions is in its third day, with no end in sight. Windsor officials said Wednesday they prefer a negotiated settlement over using force to tow away the vehicles that have clogged the city’s streets and prevented trucks from crossing the border.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said the city’s police department is negotiating with multiple groups to try to persuade them to voluntarily leave the city’s streets so the bridge can be fully reopened. Even as they negotiate, Dilkens said they can’t let protests go on too long because of the threat of economic damage — including the potential impact on U.S.-Canada trade and the auto plants in Ontario and
“We need to plan for a protracted protest,†Dilkens said in a press conference in Windsor. “We are striving to resolve this issue safely and peacefully. Our community will not tolerate this situation for long. Every hour this protests continues, our community hurts.â€
Dilkens said the city fears bringing in tow trucks would inflame the situation on the ground, where 50 to 75 vehicles and about 100 protesters remain after two days.
“You have people on the ground that say this cause is so passionate for them that they are willing to die for it,†Dilkens said. “It’s fair to say for all of us that we don’t want to see people get hurt. You’re trying to have a rational conversation and not every person on the ground is a rational actor.â€
Chrysler-maker Stellantis has also faced a shortage of parts at its assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario, where it had to end shifts early on Tuesday, but was able to resume production on Wednesday.
“The Windsor Assembly Plant had to cut short its first and second shifts on Tuesday due to parts shortages,†Stellantis said in a statement on Wednesday. “The plant resumed production this morning. We continue to work closely with our carriers to get parts into the plant to mitigate further disruptions.â€
The blockades are on course to cause layoffs for the very people that the protesters say they represent, warned Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association.
The blockades are on course to cause layoffs for the very people protesters say they represent, warned Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association.
Volpe said choking off truck traffic between the two countries was a “brain dead moveâ€.
“By allowing the protests to continue, we’re giving the impression that you can take over the country with a couple Hyundai Tucsons and a flimsy cover that you’re representing a group that has clearly said you do not,†Volpe told the Guardian.
Rob Wildeboer may have to decide as soon as Thursday whether the protest that is blocking the Ambassador Bridge will require him to furlough some of his several thousand factory workers.
Wildeboer, 62, the chairman of Martinrea International, which produces components for every global automaker, said Wednesday that the protests are within hours of halting some of his production lines. The company’s engine blocks, transmissions, subframes and brake lines can be found in GM Sierra pickup trucks, Ford Escapes and Jeep Grand Cherokees.
Each day, Wildeboer’s trucks make 38 trips across the Ambassador Bridge, shuttling half-finished products between company plants in both countries.
“We make a part Monday morning, it’s probably on a vehicle by Wednesday,†Wildeboer said.
Washington is working with authorities across the border to reroute traffic to the Blue Water Bridge, which links Port Huron in Michigan with Sarnia in Ontario, amid worries protests could turn violent, she told reporters.
More than two-thirds of the C$650 billion ($511 billion) in goods traded annually between Canada and the United States is transported by road.
“I think it’s important for everyone in Canada and the United States to understand what the impact of this blockage is – potential impact – on workers, on the supply chain, and that is where we’re most focused,†White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.
“We’re also looking to track potential disruptions to U.S. agricultural exports from Michigan into Canada.â€
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem called for a swift resolution.
“If there were to be prolonged blockages at key entry points into Canada that could start to have a measurable impact on economic activity,†he said.
“We’ve already got a strained global supply chain. We don’t need this.â€
The protests were disrupting jobs too and “must end before further damage occurs,†Canada’s Emergency Preparedness Minister, Bill Blair, told reporters.
Protesters say they are peaceful, but some Ottawa residents have said they were attacked and harassed. In Toronto, streets were being blocked.
“We continue to know that science and public health rules and guidance is the best way to this pandemic is the way we’re going to get to the other side,†said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The issue has caused a sharp split between the ruling Liberals and the opposition Conservatives, many of whom have expressed open support for the protesters in Ottawa and accuse Trudeau of using the mandates issue for political purposes.
In the United States, prosecutors in Missouri and Texas will probe crowd funding service GoFundMe over the decision to take down a page for a campaign in support of the drivers after some Republicans vowed to investigate.
Downtown Ottawa residents criticized police for their initially permissive attitude toward the blockade, but authorities began trying to take back control Sunday night with the seizure of thousands of liters of fuel and the removal of an oil tanker truck.
Police have asked for reinforcements – both officers and people with legal expertise in insurance and licensing – suggesting intentions to pursue enforcement through commercial vehicle licenses.
But as the authorities attempt to quell demonstrations in one area, they pop up elsewhere.
“Even as we have made some headway in Ottawa, we’ve seen an illegal blockade emerge in Windsor,†said Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.
Comment