The wound opened up by Stellantis’s decision to move production of the Jeep Compass to the U.S. seems to be festering. This after the auto giant failed to appear at a hearing of Canada’s House of Commons looking into the relocation of production of the SUV, originally set for Stellantis’ plant in Brampton, Ontario. The company apologized for its absence and cited computer issues, but federal lawmakers are not accepting a justification they find non-credible.
The hearing was scheduled so that authorities can examine the agreements surrounding the Stellantis plant in Brampton, Ontario, and whether the automaker is complying with them or not. Its decision to move production of the Compass to Illinois is part of a recently announced $3 billion USD investment in the United States, but negates an earlier agreement to assemble the model at Brampton.
A decision that’s rankling lawmakers and auto workers
That decision has triggered anger in Canada, especially in the context of the Trump administration's trade war. The future of the Brampton plant—and thousands of jobs—has been cast into uncertainty, leaving workers and the federal government on edge.
Lawmakers hoped to obtain clear explanations, but the head of public affairs for FCA Canada (a subsidiary of Stellantis) never appeared at any time during the nearly two-hour session.
Parliamentarians denounce
Committee chair Kelly McCauley called the situation “stunning”; Vice-Chair Marie-Hélène Gaudreau stated she was frankly “speechless”. Several lawmakers questioned the IT glitch excuse, pointing out that virtual meetings were commonplace during the pandemic and that in an emergency, it's always possible to connect, even by phone.
Stellantis offers lukewarm explanation
In a statement to CBC Windsor, Stellantis claimed to be "ready and available to appear remotely." However, the company cited undisclosed "IT issues" preventing them from connecting, despite a successful test earlier with the committee's technical team.
This absence clearly fuels suspicions that Stellantis may be avoiding having to answer for having broken its commitments to Canada and to employees of the Brampton plant.
The investigation continues
Despite the manufacturer's absence, the hearing took place and the parliamentary investigation continues. Stellantis has been invited to appear again next week. Lawmakers hope to finally get some answers - if a working connection can be established, of course. Fingers crossed.