BRAMPTON- Stellantis’ unexpected announcement today of a temporary pause in work on the next generation Jeep Compass, including activities at the Brampton Assembly Plant, is a matter of grave concern says Unifor.
“The company has reassured the union that vehicle production plans are still in place for Brampton, although the timing of this announcement raises very serious concerns for Unifor members both in the plant doing the retooling work and those on layoff,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
“The chaos and uncertainty plaguing the North American auto industry, which is under the constant threat of tariffs and a dismantling of EV regulations from the United States, are having real-time impacts on workers and corporate decisions. We have been saying this as a union from day one that the threats are also dangerous to our economy and to Canadian jobs.”
Under the terms of the 2023 Unifor-Stellantis collective agreement, and with support from the Federal and Ontario governments, Brampton Assembly is being retooled to build next-generation electric and gas-powered vehicles for the company’s Jeep brand. Once complete, Brampton Assembly, which employed approximately 3,000 workers, is expected to return to a full capacity, three-shift operation.
“Our members in the auto sector understand the ups and downs of the industry, so a timing delay isn’t out of the ordinary,” Payne said. “However, this is not an ordinary time and because of the threats and chaos, we know our members are feeling additional worry right now. And rightfully so. I want to remind everyone that Stellantis is contractually committed to this vehicle program, and we expect the company to live up to its commitments to our members and to the governments of Canada and Ontario.”
In 2023 contract negotiations, the union and company agreed to enhanced income supports for plant workers, with some facing a retooling layoff period of up to two-years. The temporary pause announced today calls that timing into question.
“We believe vehicle production will continue in Brampton, moving forward, but we think it’s overly optimistic to think our production start-date in the fourth quarter of 2025 stays on track,” said Vito Beato, President of Local 1285. “We need to be clear about these timelines, and we need to make sure that our members are protected in the event of any change that may affect their income security.”
The impact of a delayed start at Brampton would have spill-over effects on local parts supplier firms tied to vehicle production, including thousands of union and non-union workers.
Unifor represents more than 8,000 members at Stellantis facilities in Canada, including the Windsor Assembly Plant, Brampton Assembly Plant, Etobicoke Casting Plant, Red Deer Parts Distribution Centre and Mississauga Parts Distribution Centre.