CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Gov. Pritzker on Friday issued a statement calling on automaker Stellantis to honor its commitments to restarting the Belvidere Assembly Plant.
“For over two years, the State of Illinois has offered its complete and full support so that the Stellantis plant in Belvidere can reopen as soon as possible and put our people back to work after Stellantis management chose to shut it down. Working families’ lives have been turned upside down and they deserve peace of mind.
“Throughout labor negotiations, I maintained contact with auto workers, Stellantis executives, and UAW representatives to offer unprecedented state support for an agreement that would result in thousands of good, union jobs and billions in private investment.
“Our Illinois workforce is second to none, and Stellantis knows it. With significant work and support from the state of Illinois, a historic national contract was signed that will restart the Belvidere plant. It is good for workers, good for the company, and good for Illinois. Ensuring auto workers get back to work with higher wages, good benefits, and valuable opportunities in a growth industry remains one of my highest priorities. That’s why I call on Stellantis to live up to the commitments it made a year ago to Illinois workers. There is every opportunity to begin the restart at Belvidere, and there is no time to waste,” the statement read.