More than 6,000 nervous Windsor Assembly Plant employees are facing the spectre of going on strike, largely over Stellantis’s determination to close the Brampton assembly plant.
Unifor raised the prospect of a strike on Thursday during a media conference in Toronto.
“When a commitment is broken to the Brampton workers for a commitment for two or three shifts of production for the Jeep Compass, you’re only a small stretch where that’s Windsor next or Etobicoke next,” Unifor Local 444 president James Stewart, who represents Windsor workers, told reporters.
“We can’t not fight for Brampton, recognizing if we’re not going to fight for Brampton we’re not fighting for the auto industry. I think it’s important that our members recognize that and they do. They’re anxious about it. There’s no doubt.”
Unifor national President Lana Payne said during Thursday’s media conference that a strike is a “real possibility” after contract talks broke down Sept. 11 following 10 days of bargaining. But she added that the union hasn’t yet called a strike. The current collective agreement expires on Sept. 20 at 11:59 p.m.
A worker leaves the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant on Thursday, September 17, 2026. (WINDSOR STAR – DAN JANISSE) Dan Janisse
“To be clear, this is a contract expiry date,” said Payne. “It is not a strike deadline. There is currently no strike deadline set. It remains Unifor’s objective to reach a tentative settlement with Stellantis without the need to take strike action. However, bargaining remains extremely challenging right now, and as I’ve stated, we are at an impasse. Therefore, strike action remains a real possibility.”
Any strike action would require a vote from union members.
Unifor said when negotiations paused, the future of the Brampton Assembly Plant and lack of commitment to keeping the Windsor Assembly Plant’s third shift were major issues.
Payne added Friday that Stellantis’s plan to sell its Brampton plant is “at the centre of the impasse.”
“I want to be clear: Stellantis is 100 per cent serious about exiting Brampton,” said Payne. “Currently that is their only plan.”
The Brampton plant was a controversial issue going into negotiations. The plant had been retooling since 2023 to build the Jeep Compass. But Stellantis announced last year it was moving production of the vehicle to the U.S.
In August, Unifor said Stellantis informed the union it was considering the closure and sale of the Brampton Assembly Plant.
The union had said it would not commit to an agreement without finding a “suitable” solution for workers in Brampton. Then on Sept. 11, it was revealed that Stellantis had signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian armoured vehicle maker Roshel to buy the idled Bramptom plant.
Unifor sent a letter to federal Industry Minister Melanie Joly on Wednesday urging the government to step in and prevent the closure of the Brampton auto plant.
“It is incumbent on the federal government to do everything possible to prevent this outcome,” Payne wrote in the letter.
She also asked Joly to provide details on talks the government might have had with Stellantis or Roshel regarding the MOU or the future of the Brampton plant.
But the future of the Windsor Assembly Plant, without a clear commitment to keep the third shift running, has also been a sticking point.
Stewart stated in a social media video after talks broke down last week that the company has given “no indication of a commitment, or a clear, concise idea on how they will protect the third shift at the Windsor Assembly Plant.”
The plant’s third shift was axed in 2020 after three decades, killing 1,375 jobs. Stellantis brought the shift back earlier this year, adding 1,700 employees to the plant.
“One thing I think we’ve been saying all along is that Brampton is a major issue for our union, but it’s not the only issue,” Stewart said Friday. “So, the idea that we have to make sure we’re solidifying the footprint for Windsor and the Etobicoke Casting plant are still there.”
He added Unifor’s insistence that Stellantis meet the pattern agreement established through negotiations with Ford Motor Company “in an unconditional manner is still there.”
“But make no mistake: the loss of Brampton Assembly plant, even if it was the only issue, would still be important when you’re talking about the long-term commitment from Stellantis to its members,” said Stewart.