Union president Chris Taylor won't seek re-election - Action News
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Windsor

Union president Chris Taylor won't seek re-election

Unifor Local 200 president Chris Taylor has announced he won't be seeking re-election after six years as the union's leader. He said a high point of his years in the role include 2016 bargaining. He also hinted at a new engine program coming to Windsor.

Chris Taylor led Unifor Local 200 for six years

Unifor Local 200 president, Chris Taylor. (Jonathan Pinto/CBC)

After six years as the head ofUnifor Local 200, president Chris Taylor has announced he won't seek re-election.

The union leader, who represents Windsor's Ford workers, will be moving to a national position with Unifor as a service representative for the region.

"It's time to move on," he said. "Time for a new face in the local."

Taylor called the 2016 bargaining talks one of the highlights of his tenure, despite it being the toughest battle he's had to fight. Headded he's happy Ford Windsor's future was secured before Donald Trump was elected president of the United States.

"I don't think anybody imagined the rhetoric or position he would take," said Taylor. "But I'm anticipating that, no matter what curveballs Trump throws, our site is going to be very secure for the long term."

Unifor national president Jerry Dias, left, shakes hands with bargaining committee member Chris Taylor, right, of Ford Motor Company, as bargaining committee member Dino Chiodo, of Fiat Chrysler, sits between them, after the conclusion of a news conference regarding the ongoing Unifor auto talks, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/Associated Press)

The most difficult loss to swallow came in 2014 when Windsor was passed over as the builder of a new Ford small engine in favour of Mexico, but Taylor hinted the city could see a significant investment from the company soon.

"It's very secretive right now," he said, providing few details, other thanthe news that Windsor will be the sole supplier of an engine for Ford.

"The engine program is ours, it's coming to our site and I would expect it would be in place prior to us bargaining in 2020."