Thank you, Tom.
As previously indicated, Canada has always been an important manufacturing and sales market for Chrysler. It is significant to note that Canada is the largest vehicle sales market for Chrysler outside of the United States and that no other vehicle manufacturer has a larger portion of its total manufacturing in Canada than Chrysler.
Currently, Chrysler Canada builds the Dodge Grand Caravan, the Chrysler Town and Country, and the Volkswagen Routan at our Windsor assembly plant. As well, we produce the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger at our Brampton assembly facility.
Subject to achieving the three critical factors outlined by Tom, Chrysler envisions a bright future for our Canadian operations. Specifically, Chrysler Canada intends to continue with current investments in our Windsor and Brampton assembly plants.
I'll recap some of those investments in Windsor. In 2008, for the 2008 minivan program, we invested close to $1 billion. Also in 2008, we put in a close to $240 million paint facility. For the 2009 model year minivan, we're in the process of investing another $41 million to manufacture minivans for the international marketplace. And for model year 2011, we intend to upgrade our existing minivan portfolio by investing a further $153 million in our Windsor assembly plant.
In Brampton, the investments are even more significant. We intend to continue to move forward with investments for the next generation of Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger vehicles at our Brampton assembly plant, beginning in the 2010 calendar year. These platforms would also be adapted for international markets, including right-hand drive production. To recap, in 2008 we also invested $332 million in our Brampton assembly plant for our Dodge Challenger; and for the next generation 300 and Charger, we anticipate an investment of slightly over $1 billion.
Quickly, on a restructuring and viability standpoint, since Cerberus acquired our organization from Daimler in August 2007, we've taken immediate steps to redesign our business model, enhance our product portfolio, and create a more competitive cost structure.
From an operational improvement standpoint, we've reduced fixed costs by $3.1 billion; we've eliminated 32,000 employees from our workforce; our manufacturing capacity has been reduced by 1.2 million units, reducing 12 production shifts and eliminating two manufacturing facilities, our St. Louis and Newark manufacturing plants; we've discontinued four vehicle models; we've sold $700 million of non-recurring assets and, closer to home, shut down our Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Moncton parts distribution centres. This was all intended to lower our cost structure.
We've also requested all the key stakeholders that have a vested interest in the long-term viability of Chrysler Canada and Chrysler LLC to step up and make concessions. Concessions have been sought and received from the executives and management of Chrysler LLC and from our dealer organizations, not only in Canada but also in the United States. In Canada alone, our Canadian dealers have stepped up and committed in excess of $30 million of concessions to help the long-term viability of our organizations.
Regarding our unions, as Tom mentioned, we're currently in discussions and negotiations with the CAW. But in the United States, we have been able to move our labour rates to be competitive with transplant labour rates south of the border.
Supplier concessions are also under way.
Second lien holders are requested to convert 100% of their debt into equity, and shareholders are also being requested to convert their debt and obligations into equity in the company.
We're also looking to enhance our restructuring obligations by entering into a strategic partnership with Fiat. We currently have over two dozen joint ventures and alliances, but the proposed Fiat alliance would enhance our restructuring plan, provide Chrysler with substantial cost-saving opportunities, and provide us with distribution capabilities in key growth markets.
The Fiat alliance would also help Chrysler achieve fuel economy improvements, as Chrysler gains access to Fiat's smaller fuel-efficient platforms and power train technologies. Given that the Canadian marketplace is 42% small and compact cars, this would be a disproportionate benefit for Chrysler Canada.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for the opportunity to present to this subcommittee and for your patience with our going over the time limit.
We are fully aware that the loan we've requested from the Canadian government and the taxpayers is substantial. However, we feel the investments we intend to make in Canada are also substantial. We strongly believe that the government's fully collateralized loan will also deliver a positive return for the taxpayers.