Stellantis and the union representing its auto workers have reached an impasse in collective bargaining negotiations after 10 days of discussions, with the fate of workers at the idled Brampton Assembly plant cited as the chief factor.
The parties had set a targeted deadline of September 11 but broke off talks when no agreement of the Brampton plant’s future could be reached, the union said.
Deals with auto workers at Ford and with General Motors have been struck as the industry deals with labour uncertainties from a trade war with the U.S. but workers with the last of the ‘Big Three’ will be without a contract as of September 20 at midnight if talks do not resume.
The Unifor Master Bargaining Committee has paused negotiations in Toronto and the union said it is “actively considering” next steps.
Central to the impasse is the future of Stellantis’ Brampton Assembly plant, Unifor said in a statement. Additionally, the company has yet to confirm forecasted plans for the Windsor Assembly plant and Etobicoke Casting plant. Stellantis has offered only conditional agreement with the economic pattern settlement tied to the closing of Brampton, creating added complications for reaching a deal, Unifor declared.
Meanwhile Stellantis said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Brampton armoured vehicle maker Roshel on a potential sale of the Brampton Stellantis plant.
Unifor claims Stellantis reneged in October on a prior commitment to invest in Jeep production at Brampton, in part as a response to tariffs. At the time, Stellantis reassured Unifor members, as well as government officials, of its intent to conditionally invest in new vehicle programs for Brampton.
Last month Stellantis notified Unifor that it was seriously considering the closure and sale of the facility to a third-party – a position the union said it “strongly opposed.” That position was restated while in bargaining along with the tentative deal with Roshel, leading to the suspension of negotiations.
“The persistence of the company’s proposal to close and sell the Brampton plant has hindered the bargaining process,” the union said.
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Unifor said in its statement the proposed facility closure and sale “threaten the wages, pensions and other benefits” of Unifor members.
“It also deals a devastating blow to Canada’s industrial sector, especially in the province of Ontario and the community of Brampton. There is no economic substitute for automotive assembly in Canada, including the extensive supply chain, regional economic activity, and high-quality, union jobs connected to it.”
“Unifor has been consistent in its position that there will be no tentative settlement without a suitable resolution for Local 1285 members at Brampton.”
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