Contract talks between Stellantis and Unifor have ground to a halt following 10 days of bargaining in Toronto. The automaker and the union representing thousands of Canadian workers were unable to come to an agreement ahead of their target deadline of today, September 11.
Brampton a major stumbling block
Central to the breakdown is the fate of the automaker’s Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario, which is currently idled. The two parties have arrived at the stage of a tense standoff, over which looms the expiration of the current master collective agreement on September 20th at 11:59 p.m.
News also broke today of a memo of understanding (MOU) announced by Stellantis between it and Roshel, a Canadian defence-industry supplier specializing in armoured vehicles, that would see the latter purchase the Brampton plant.
Third time’s not the charm
Earlier this summer, Unifor successfully negotiated pattern-setting agreements with Ford and General Motors that included wage increases, improved working conditions and fresh plant investments in Ontario. But negotiations with Stellantis have proven far more contentious. Unifor national president Lana Payne signaled the difficulty early on, describing this round as potentially the union’s “most challenging yet.”
And the main reason for that is the Brampton facility, which has been idled since 2023 following the discontinuation of the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger. While Stellantis originally committed to retooling the plant to build the next-generation Jeep Compass, the automaker reneged on that plan in October 2025, redirecting production to the United States due to the impact of U.S. tariffs.
Tensions escalated in August when Stellantis notified Unifor that it was actively considering closing the facility and selling it to a third party. Stellantis has now confirmed signing the MOU with Roshel. Trevor Longley, chairman, president, and CEO of Stellantis Canada, defended the potential sale, stating that Roshel “represents a strong path to restoring sustainable operations at Brampton Assembly, preserving the site's strategic role in Canada's advanced manufacturing sector.”
Predictably, Unifor is seeing red and firmly rejects the proposal. The union stated that Stellantis has offered only a conditional agreement to the pattern economic settlement, explicitly tying it to the closure of Brampton.
Unifor maintains that no tentative deal will be reached without a viable automotive assembly resolution for its Local 1285 members in Brampton, where more than 2,000 workers remain laid off. And so we’ve arrived at a stand-off.
Don’t forget Windsor
Adding to the uncertainty, Unifor noted that Stellantis has yet to confirm forecast plans for its Windsor Assembly Plant, where Chrysler minivans and the new Dodge Charger are built, or for its Etobicoke Casting Plant. The union is concerned that the long-term survival of operations in Windsor could be tied to the sale of Brampton.
In a statement, Unifor warned that selling the plant would threaten wages, pensions and benefits while delivering a crushing blow to Ontario’s industrial base. "There is no equivalent economic alternative to automotive assembly in Canada," the union stated, emphasizing the vast supply chain and high-quality unionized jobs tied to vehicle manufacturing.
With formal talks paused and about 9,000 workers facing an impending strike deadline, Unifor’s master bargaining committee is currently weighing its next steps as Stellantis continues discussions with government officials regarding its broken commitments.