Unifor members at Stellantis authorized a possible strike in Canada as stalled contract talks raised questions about the future of the automaker’s Brampton Assembly Plant and workers’ jobs.
The union said Oct. 19 that 97.3% of members who voted Oct. 17-18 backed giving its bargaining committee the authority to call a strike if needed. The figure represents participating voters, not all employees covered by the talks. Bargaining began Sept. 1 for more than 9,000 Stellantis workers across Canada.
The vote does not mean a walkout is imminent. Unifor said neither side had requested a no-board report, a required step before a legal strike, and described a strike as a last resort.
Brampton’s future is a central obstacle to an agreement. Unifor said Stellantis confirmed a memorandum of understanding with defense supplier Roshel concerning a potential sale of the Ontario plant. The union objects to making the contract’s main economic terms depend on the plant’s closure and sale. It is also seeking job security at Windsor Assembly Plant and Etobicoke Casting Plant.
The Brampton plant has been idle since December 2023. About 2,200 union members there were on indefinite layoff when negotiations began, according to Unifor, which says their wages, pensions and benefits are at stake.
Stellantis said in October 2025 that its Belvidere, Illinois, plant would build the Jeep Compass and Jeep Cherokee, with production expected to begin in 2027. The company projected about 3,300 new jobs at Belvidere. Unifor says Compass production had been promised to Brampton and alleges the change breached earlier commitments.
Unifor National President Lana Payne said members wanted an agreement that “protects jobs for Canadian autoworkers.” The union has announced no strike date; a no-board report remains a required step before any legal walkout.
