Family of 18 Moves to Windsor to Keep Auto Jobs

Joseph Jacildo worked on assembling vehicles at a plant in Brampton, Ont., for 28 years.

This assembly line job turned into a family affair, with his wife, three daughters, and their partners all joining in over time.

Now, all eight autoworkers along with Jacildo’s 10 grandchildren have relocated 350 kilometres southwest to Windsor to keep their jobs assembling vehicles for Stellantis.

“We are the first batch of transfers from Brampton,” he said. “It’s hard to start from the beginning … It’s a new city, new environment, new plant.”

The Brampton plant has not produced any cars for over two years, leaving the Jacildos and about 3,000 other laid-off workers stuck in uncertainty.

This situation was initially described as a “temporary pause” while they retooled for future production of new gas and electric vehicles; however, that plan was later stalled. The company hasn’t shared any future plans for the facility and is currently in a disagreement with the federal government regarding hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds received recently.

This led the Jacildos to accept an offer to transfer to Stellantis’s Windsor Assembly Plant.

Joseph Jacildo, second from left, is seen in 1998 with other family members at the Brampton Assembly Plant. His daughter Jasmine Jacildo is on the far right as a child (being held by a family member whose face is blurred because they didn’t want their image used). Joseph, Jasmine and other loved ones have relocated to Windsor to keep working in the auto industry as the Brampton facility is shut. (Submitted by Jasmine Jacildo)

Joseph spoke with CBC while sitting next to his daughter, Jasmine Jacildo, inside her two-bedroom rental apartment in Windsor.

Jasmine, her husband, their young twin daughters and two cats were still busy unpacking boxes.

“We bought a house in Brampton in December of 2024 right beside the Brampton plant,” she said. “It was kind of heartbreaking. We thought that was going to be our forever home.”

“And now we ended up having to rent that out and then rent this place.. just to kind of chase a job,” she said. “It was a very, very difficult decision.”

Jasmine Jacildo’s twins, Lilah and Juliette have moved with their parents to Windsor after the couple took new jobs at Stellantis’s plant in southwestern Ontario. (Submitted by Jasmine Jacildo)

She feels moving to Windsor was necessary for security.

Brampton is “where we all started. But if that were to go away, you have no clue what is going to happen with the auto industry in Canada. And then we would have no job,” Jasmine said.

WATCH | Family of autoworkers in 1st batch of transplanted Stellantis workers:

Brampton family with 8 autoworkers makes tough choice to come to Windsor

CBC’s Acton Clarkin speaks with members of a family who used to work at the Brampton Assembly Plant and are now going to be joining the new third shift at Windsor Assembly. They say it was a difficult decision but they’ll be together in Windsor – all 18 of them including eight Stellantis employees.

A Positive Outlook Amid Challenges

The Jacildos were hired as part of Stellantis’s plans for adding a third shift at its facility in Windsor. As of last month, Stellantis reported hiring more than 1,000 new workers along with around 240 transfers from Brampton. >>Both Joseph and Jasmine agree that Unifor-the union representing these workers-has supported those affected by changes within the industry; they secured contracts allowing laid-off workers compensation amounting up to 70 percent of their pay plus benefits for months after production ceased there. >>“They really did a good job protecting us. It’s not their decision. It’s Stellantis,” said Joseph. >>However, Jasmine feels Unifor could’ve done more towards keeping jobs based locally.

“There’s nothing we can really do. We’re just line workers. We hope thatthe union would fight back on it alittle bit more. But I thinkthey were also trustingthe company ina way wherethey would make agooddecision.”Jasmineand Joseph Jacildo show offmatching Built-in-Brampton T-shirtsfeaturinga Dodge Chargermodelthat theyusedtoassembleat Bramptonplant. (Ken Amlin/ )

As they adjusttotheirnewlifein Windsor, thefamilyisfocusedonkeepingthingsinperspective.

“Wewerejustfortunate thatourfamily, weallworktogether. So wewereabletomoveandtransitiontogether. Itsstillhardforus, butitdefinitelyisnotashardassomepeoplewhosewives orhusbandsworkinjobsinthe GTA[Greater Toronto Area], sotheyhave towomen there,”said Jasmine.

As Josephconsidersretiringinacoupleofyears, heseesaglimmerofhope: thenewcolleaguesin Windsorarewelcomingalleight Jacildotransferswithopenarms.

“Andthat’stheonlythingthat’smakingmeworkmore, becausethesepeopleareverygood.”

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