Concerns emerge over NextStar’s plans to hire foreign workers for battery plant

WINDSOR, Ont. — Concerns are rising over plans by NextStar Energy Inc. to bring in foreign workers to help build a battery plant in Windsor, Ont., that is being supported by an expected $15 billion in public funding.

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Monday that he is pushing for a full inquiry into the issue, and wants a commitment that no public funding will go to foreign workers. 

It’s not clear how many workers NextStar Energy, a joint venture between automaker Stellantis and South Korea’s LG, plans to bring from outside Canada. 

NextStar Energy chief executive Danies Lee says in a statement that the company is committed to hiring Canadians to fill more than 2,500 full-time jobs at the battery plant, and engage with up to 2,300 more local tradespeople to help with construction and installation.