Trudeau says he will help keep jobs local for EV projects

GATINEAU, Que. — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his Liberal government will do everything it can to make sure most jobs linked to electric vehicle projects in Canada will stay locally.

Trudeau spoke to a crowd of 500 construction union leaders from all provinces today at the Canada’s Building Trade Unions annual conference.

CBTU wrote to Trudeau earlier this month asking him to intervene because they said Canadian workers were being sidelined in favour of foreign employees at the NextStar EV battery plant in Windsor, Ont.

Both Trudeau and NextStar, which is owned by Stellantis and LG Energy Solution, deny that is happening, saying a select few positions have gone to foreign workers for equipment installation.

At the conference today Trudeau made a commitment to protect local jobs and said these investments have been about creating work for generations to come.

The Conservatives are demanding he make public the contracts for six electric vehicle projects including what they do to protect local union jobs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2024. 

The Canadian Press