300 jobs cut at Windsor Nemak Essex plant

Another round of layoff notices has gone out in the Canadian auto industry, this time at the Nemak Essex aluminum plant in Windsor, Ont.

Notices have gone out to 300 workers at the plant, which is slated to close in March 2009 if conditions in the market remain unchanged, an official with the Canadian Auto Workers union said. Closing the plant will eliminate a total of 600 jobs.

The layoffs were expected because of the looming plant closures, Mark Renaud of CAW Local 200 said. The job cuts will go into effect on Feb. 9, trimming workers with less than 14 years of seniority.

Nemak Essex is a joint venture of automaker Ford Canada and Nemak, which is owned by Mexican conglomerate Alfa SAB. The plant makes cylinder heads for Ford's Windsor engine plant.

Last week, General Motors said about 500 workers in Oshawa, Ont., will be laid off temporarily on Jan. 12, as part of a 3,600-person personnel cull due to slowing production. The cuts were announced as GM reported a quarterly net loss of $2.5 billion US.