Chrysler LLC will temporarily lay off one shift at its Windsor, Ontario plant on a rotating basis over the next three weeks in response to dramatically declining demand for the automaker’s minivans. The automaker’s Windsor Assembly facility builds the Chrysler Town & Country , Dodge Caravan and the recently released Volkswagen Routan minivans.
The automaker will cut its afternoon shift for two weeks beginning later this week and then its midnight shift for the third week. The automaker says all three shifts will be reimplemented on a full-time basis after the third week of shifts, though Canadian Auto Workers union officials are concerned that the cuts might be extended.
The plant employs about 5,000 workers with between 1,200 and 1,500 composing each shift.
