London MPPs call for certainty as local auto plant closure leaves 136 workers in limbo

LONDON — Autoneum has announced it will close its London auto parts plant by the end of 2026. Ontario NDP MPPs Terence Kernaghan (London North Centre), Teresa Armstrong (London—Fanshawe), and Peggy Sattler (London West), say the decision is yet another sign that workers are paying the price for Doug Ford’s failure to provide stability and certainty in Ontario’s auto sector.

The closure will leave 136 workers facing months of uncertainty about their jobs, their families, and their future, as operations are consolidated to Tillsonburg.

“This announcement is devastating for workers who have given years of their lives to this plant and are now being told to live with uncertainty for the next two years,” said Kernaghan. “Even when jobs are consolidated from one part of the province to the other, the constant instability under Ford means workers are left wondering whether they’ll be able to keep paying the bills or stay in their community.”

Armstrong said the closure reflects a broader pattern of decline across Southwestern Ontario’s manufacturing sector.

“We’ve seen plant after plant struggle or shut down while Doug Ford shrugs his shoulders and blames everyone else,” said Armstrong. “Auto workers are being asked to absorb the shock of tariffs, shifting production, and global pressures without the strong provincial leadership they deserve.”

Sattler pointed to the ripple effects the closure will have across London’s economy.

“When good manufacturing jobs disappear, it hurts entire families and communities,” said Sattler. “Workers and families lose their livelihoods, but local businesses, suppliers, and neighbourhoods feel the impact too.”

The London MPPs say Doug Ford has failed to develop a jobs plan despite promising to protect workers, leaving Ontario’s auto workers with more uncertainty than ever.