Unions say NextStar is not using workers for specialized tasks -- but company calls allegations 'inaccurate and negative'
Union and construction leaders are expressing frustration over the alleged use of temporary foreign workers for non-specialised tasks.
Jason Roe, business manager for Local 700 of the Ironworkers union and head of the Essex and Kent Building Trades Council, said foreign workers, mainly from South Korea, have been seen performing tasks such as driving forklifts and standard electrical installation at the NextStar Energy electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont.
Roe told CBC that this is despite assurances from government officials and NextStar that international staff would be limited to highly specialised work.
“It’s been very frustrating knowing that these are taxpayer dollars funding the project and it’s not going to Canadian workers and Canadian contractors,” Roe said, adding that he has received continual reports from members about foreign workers performing non-specialised tasks at the site.
Foreign workers doing general labour
Jack Mesley, president of the Ontario Erectors Association, reported that union members have observed foreign workers doing general labour and certified trade work, including cutting and welding pipe and working on electrical vaults.
“There’s no knowledge transfer in running the forklift unless it was our Canadians telling the Koreans how to do it,” Mesley said, according to CBC.
Meanwhile, Eric Farron, vice-president of operations at Sylvan Canada, a contractor previously involved in the project, said his company received several complaints from staff about foreign workers performing non-specialised tasks.
“I think that definition [of specialised work] has likely been overstated and I think there’s plenty of opportunity that more Canadians could have contributed to the construction and to the factory automation at that site,” Farron told CBC.
As early as 2023, Canadian workers’ unions have criticised NextStar over its plans to bring 900 foreign workers to Canada to do work that local workers can do. That year, NextStar confirmed its plan to hire about 1,600 technicians from outside suppliers to assemble, install and test equipment at its EV battery plant in Windsor. Those workers include up to 900 "temporary specialised global supplier staff," mainly from South Korea.
NextStar call allegations 'inaccurate and negative'
In response to the recent criticism, NextStar, a joint venture between Stellantis and LG Energy Solution, stated that it has hired nearly 1,000 full-time local staff and that more than 9,000 Canadian tradespeople have worked on the project.
“Unfortunately, there is an inaccurate and negative portrayal of non-Canadian resident workers who are needed to temporarily support the industrialisation of the battery plant prior to its launch,” the company said in a statement to CBC.
NextStar explained that these workers are hired temporarily by suppliers to install proprietary equipment and are required for warranty obligations. The company also stated that these temporary workers are not included in the roughly 2,500 Canadian jobs the plant will create once operational.
In October 2024, the employer marked the official start of battery module production at its Windsor facility.
In a press release in July, NextStar announced that employees had ratified the tentative agreement reached between the company and Unifor Local 444.
“We are proud of our leadership role at NextStar Energy in proactively working with Unifor to create a collective agreement that reflects our ongoing commitment to our employees and our belief in the power of collaboration,” said Danies Lee, CEO of NextStar Energy. “This agreement reflects our shared commitment to labour stability and operational flexibility and will continue to offer terms that are both fair and competitive for employees. This marks a new chapter for NextStar, and we remain committed to supporting and empowering our growing workforce.”
Safe work hours
The company also announced in May this year that it has reached eight million safe work hours on construction of the site.
“This achievement marks more than work hours. It’s a reflection of the incredible dedication and collaborative efforts from countless individuals, working together to bring NextStar Energy to life,” said Lee. “I’m incredibly grateful to our partners who have undoubtedly set a new standard of excellence.”
Construction of the 4.23 million-square-foot joint venture began in 2022 and proceeded at a rapid pace.
However, previous reports have noted that a couple of workers have been injured in said workplace, including one whose thumb was amputated after his glove became caught in a machine.
