Windsor Assembly Plant shutdown extended amid semiconductor shortage

A shutdown at the Windsor Assembly Plantis being extended amid an "unprecedented" global shortage of microchips, automaker Stellantis says.

The plant was expected to be closed forfour weeks starting on March 29.Unifor Local 444, which represents workers,said the closure is expected to last an extra week, until May 3.

A spokesperson for the company confirmed that the closure would last through the end of April.

"Stellantiscontinues to work closely with our suppliers to mitigate the manufacturing impacts caused by the various supply chain issues facing our industry," Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin said in a statement.

Along with other industries, the auto sector is grappling with a shortageof the electronic chips needed to make vehicles.Other automakers,such as Ford and General Motors, have slashedproduction.

The Windsor Assembly Plant is in its second shutdown due to the shortage. In February,production was halted for three weeks.