Governor Pritzker is calling on Stellantis to reopen the Belvidere assembly plant, pointing out the negative consequences of the closure for workers and the community. The governor urged the automaker to fulfill commitments made a year ago to Illinois workers by restarting the plant. The plant ceased operations last year. Stellantis confirmed that it has delayed the reopening of the Belvidere plant due to market conditions.
From excitement to urgency and concern: Pritzker asks Stellantis to reopen Belvidere
In July, Governor Pritzker enthusiastically celebrated Stellantis’ investment in electric vehicle production in Belvidere, promising a bright future and the creation of new jobs. Today, however, the same governor is urging the company to speed up the timetable for reopening the plant.
Indeed, recall that last July, Stellantis secured a major grant to transform the Belvidere plant into an electric vehicle manufacturing hub. The announcement had been greeted with great enthusiasm by Governor Pritzker. Sorenson who had also stressed the strategic importance of this project to the local economy.
“Getting the Belvidere plant up and running again has been one of my top priorities since I came to Congress. This National Automobile Manufacturing Conversion Grant helps turn the plant into an electric vehicle manufacturing facility so we can create good-paying, unionized jobs while investing in a clean energy future. I am grateful to Governor Pritzker for helping us secure this important funding that will help strengthen the local economy and make northern Illinois a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
Governor Pritzker’s statement
Now, seeing the bad situation created around Belvidere and the past efforts to invest and reopen the plant, Governor Pritzker issued the following statement: “For more than two years, the Illinois State Administration has gone to great lengths to ensure a speedy reopening of the Stellantis plant in Belvidere. The company’s decision to close the plant disrupted the lives of thousands of families, and our commitment has always been to restore peace of mind and job security to these workers.”
Indeed, throughout this long and complex journey, Pritzker has maintained a constant dialogue with UAW union representatives, Stellantis management, and the workers themselves. The goal has always been to offer unprecedented state support so that an agreement could be reached that would ensure the revitalization of the plant, with the creation of thousands of stable, well-paid jobs and substantial private investment.
“Illinois‘ workforce is one of the best in the country, and Stellantis knows it. Thanks to our combined efforts, we were able to sign a historic national agreement to reopen Belvidere. This is an important achievement for the workers, the company and our entire community. My priority has always been to ensure decent working conditions for automotive workers, with competitive wages, excellent benefits and the opportunity to grow professionally in a constantly evolving industry. For this reason, I appeal to Stellantis to fulfill the commitments it made to Illinois workers a year ago. All conditions are now ripe to start the reopening of Belvidere, and we cannot afford further delays. The time has come to take concrete action for the good of all.” – J. B. Pritzker said.