Ford closes Ontario assembly plant

Auto giant Ford Motor Co. has shuttered its assembly plant in St. Thomas, Ont., putting 1,200 hourly-paid workers out of work.

Workers have known since 2009 that the plant would be closing. The facility has been producing Fords, including Pintos, Fairmonts, Mavericks and other vehicles, for 44 years. The St. Thomas plant had most recently been building Lincoln Town Cars and Crown Victorias.

A severance package has been offered to the hundreds of other people now out of work, as well as three years of job-search and retraining assistance from the union.

Ford, which is the country’s top automaker, has recently made investments in its engine plant in Windsor, Ont., and assembly plant in Oakville, Ont..