TORONTO\u2014Unifor welcomes the $2.5 billion investment from the federal and Ontario governments to support the country\u2019s auto industry, hit hard by the ongoing U.S. trade war on Canada, and is urging government to focus on sustaining threatened auto assembly operations in Brampton.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur auto sector and the workers who depend on it have been directly targeted by the Trump administration. Support by both the federal and Ontario governments is essential to see workers and the industry through this crisis,\u201d said Unifor National President Lana Payne.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s announcement must propel both governments to address the most pressing challenge right now, and that\u2019s to stop the closure and sale of Brampton Assembly plant and preserve auto assembly and the jobs that it supports.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
Contract talks between Unifor and Stellantis are at an impasse, in part, over the company\u2019s intent to sell the plant to a defence contractor, ending vehicle production in Brampton and affecting thousands of workers in the local supply chain. In these talks, the union is also focused on ensuring Canada\u2019s auto production footprint by securing a strong, sustainable future for Stellantis\u2019 Windsor and Etobicoke plants. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Unifor continues to remind government that a solution is also needed for the idled General Motors CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.\u00a0
The funding, announced as part of a joint Canada-Ontario action plan, is designed to help automakers invest in modern machinery and upgraded production lines to strengthen the sector amid tariff turmoil.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe view this as a vote of confidence in our domestic auto sector that employs half a million Canadian workers,\u201d said Payne. \u201cIt also reinforces a critical message: there is a future for auto manufacturing in Canada, and we must continue to fund it and fight for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The union is calling for public investments to be paired with enforceable commitments. Multi-billion-dollar funding agreements with automakers must come with strict, long-term guarantees for Canadian production and jobs to prevent investment and manufacturing capacity from moving elsewhere. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Unifor is further calling on the federal government to strengthen its auto industrial strategy by prioritizing Canadian manufacturing, protecting good-paying jobs and securing future production. Policies should reward automakers that invest in Canada, rather than subsidize vehicles built offshore with little or no Canadian content. The union continues to urge the government to reconsider its stance on Chinese electric vehicle imports and focus on building a competitive domestic EV supply chain.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanada\u2019s auto strategy must be measured by the jobs it protects, the investments it secures and the manufacturing future it builds here at home,\u201d said Payne. \u201cPublic funding must deliver public benefits and that means good jobs, strong communities and a viable future for auto manufacturing in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unifor is Canada\u2019s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.<\/p>\n