Unifor is warning that strike action remains possible as negotiations with Stellantis reach an impasse and uncertainty deepens over the future of the automaker’s Brampton Assembly Plant.
The union, which represents more than 9,000 Stellantis workers across Canada, is negotiating as its existing collective agreement with the automaker approaches expiry. Unifor national president Lana Payne said bargaining remains “extremely challenging” and that the two sides are currently at an impasse, leaving strike action as a possibility.
The dispute comes as Stellantis moves toward potentially selling its Brampton facility. The automaker signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian defence manufacturer Roshel on September 11 regarding a possible sale. Stellantis Canada CEO Trevor Longley recently told employees the company had examined multiple options for the plant but concluded none provided a sustainable long-term business case for continued operations.
The Brampton plant has been idle since late 2023, after ending production of the previous-generation Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger and Chrysler 300. Stellantis had initially planned to retool the facility for production of the next-generation Jeep Compass but later shifted that program to its Belvidere plant in Illinois, leaving the future of more than 2,000 Brampton workers uncertain.
Payne has urged federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly to intervene and block a potential sale to Roshel. Stellantis, meanwhile, has said it is prepared to resume labour negotiations and has encouraged Unifor to meet with Roshel to discuss the defence company’s plans for the site.
Roshel says its proposal could create approximately 2,000 jobs and that former Stellantis employees would receive “first consideration” for employment. However, questions remain about the scale of future manufacturing. Reports indicate Roshel could initially produce roughly two to three vehicles per day at the site, compared with the approximately 500 to 1,000 vehicles that could be produced daily when the Stellantis plant was operating at higher volumes.
The potential shift from high-volume automotive production to defence manufacturing has also raised concerns about Brampton’s broader automotive supply chain. The dispute now places the plant’s proposed sale, employment commitments and the future of Stellantis workers at the centre of ongoing labour negotiations.
