Stellantis told Transport Topics it remains committed to good-faith bargaining. On the core issue, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said on Oct. 16, 2026 that “we will bring back production to Brampton,” Transport Topics reported.
Why does the Brampton plant sit at the centre of the dispute?
That issue is the idled Brampton Assembly Plant. The previous agreement expired Sept. 20, 2026, after talks stalled, according to Unifor. The union said Stellantis told it in August 2026 that the employer was seriously considering closing and selling the plant to defence supplier Roshel.
“Strike action is always a last resort, but we will not back down and accept a deal that weakens Stellantis’ footprint within Canada’s auto industry due to broken commitments that further cause devastation for our members, families and communities that rely on good union auto jobs,” said James Stewart, Unifor’s Stellantis master bargaining chairperson.
The stakes extend to taxpayers. Ottawa has said it will seek to recover $222 million paid to retool Brampton if Stellantis abandons production there, WardsAuto reported.
What strikes cost employers and the Canadian economy
A walkout would add to a costly national trend. Canada lost more than 4.3 million person-days to work stoppages in 2025, up from 3.4 million in 2023, even as the number of stoppages fell, according to a September 2026 Canadian Chamber of Commerce report by University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe.