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A worker leaves the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant on Thursday, September 17, 2026. (WINDSOR STAR \u2013 DAN JANISSE) Dan Janisse<\/p>\nMore than 6,000 nervous Windsor Assembly Plant employees are facing the spectre of going on strike, largely over Stellantis\u2019s determination to close the Brampton assembly plant.<\/p>\n
Unifor raised the prospect of a strike on Thursday during a media conference in Toronto.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen a commitment is broken to the Brampton workers for a commitment for two or three shifts of production for the Jeep Compass, you\u2019re only a small stretch where that\u2019s Windsor next or Etobicoke next,\u201d Unifor Local 444 president James Stewart, who represents Windsor workers, told reporters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t not fight for Brampton, recognizing if we\u2019re not going to fight for Brampton we\u2019re not fighting for the auto industry. I think it\u2019s important that our members recognize that and they do. They\u2019re anxious about it. There\u2019s no doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unifor national President Lana Payne said during Thursday\u2019s media conference that a strike is a \u201creal possibility\u201d after contract talks broke down Sept. 11 following 10 days of bargaining. But she added that the union hasn\u2019t yet called a strike. The current collective agreement expires on Sept. 20 at 11:59 p.m.<\/p>\n
A worker leaves the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant on Thursday, September 17, 2026. (WINDSOR STAR \u2013 DAN JANISSE) Dan Janisse<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be clear, this is a contract expiry date,\u201d said Payne. \u201cIt is not a strike deadline. There is currently no strike deadline set. It remains Unifor\u2019s 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\u2019ve stated, we are at an impasse. Therefore, strike action remains a real possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any strike action would require a vote from union members.<\/p>\n
Unifor said when negotiations paused, the future of the Brampton Assembly Plant and lack of commitment to keeping the Windsor Assembly Plant\u2019s third shift were major issues.<\/p>\n
Payne added Friday that Stellantis\u2019s plan to sell its Brampton plant is \u201cat the centre of the impasse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to be clear: Stellantis is 100 per cent serious about exiting Brampton,\u201d said Payne. \u201cCurrently that is their only plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In August, Unifor said Stellantis informed the union it was considering the closure and sale of the Brampton Assembly Plant.<\/p>\n
The union had said it would not commit to an agreement without finding a \u201csuitable\u201d solution for workers in Brampton. Then on Sept. 11, it was revealed that Stellantis had signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian armoured \u2060vehicle maker Roshel to buy the idled Bramptom plant.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is incumbent on the federal government to do everything possible to prevent this outcome,\u201d Payne wrote in the letter.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But the future of the Windsor Assembly Plant, without a clear commitment to keep the third shift running, has also been a sticking point.<\/p>\n
Stewart stated in a social media video after talks broke down last week that the company has given \u201cno indication of a commitment, or a clear, concise idea on how they will protect the third shift at the Windsor Assembly Plant.\u201d<\/p>\n
The plant\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing I think we\u2019ve been saying all along is that Brampton is a major issue for our union, but it\u2019s not the only issue,\u201d Stewart said Friday. \u201cSo, the idea that we have to make sure we\u2019re solidifying the footprint for Windsor and the Etobicoke Casting plant are still there.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added Unifor\u2019s insistence that Stellantis meet the pattern agreement established through negotiations with Ford Motor Company \u201cin an unconditional manner is still there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut make no mistake: the loss of Brampton Assembly plant, even if it was the only issue, would still be important when you\u2019re talking about the long-term commitment from Stellantis to its members,\u201d said Stewart.<\/p>\n