Unifor urges feds to stop Stellantis’ possible sale of Brampton plant

CANADA Unifor urges feds to stop Stellantis’ possible sale of Brampton plant By Sammy Hudes The Canadian Press Posted September 16, 2026 5:00 pm 4 min read RELATED: Brampton mayor, auto workers outraged as Stellantis decides to sell Brampton assembly plant LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE The union representing Canadian workers at Stellantis is urging the federal government to intervene as the automaker looks to sell its idled Brampton, Ont., assembly plant to Canadian armoured ⁠vehicle maker Roshel. In a letter to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly on Wednesday, Unifor national president Lana Payne warned that if Stellantis is successful in selling the facility, the company will have “abandoned” vehicle production at the plant. That would leave more than 2,000 employees out of work and affect suppliers employing thousands nearby, she said. “There is no comparable economic replacement for this work. Canada’s economy will be worse-off as a result,” Payne wrote. “It is incumbent on the federal government to do everything possible to prevent this outcome.” Last Friday, Stellantis said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Roshel on a potential sale of the Brampton facility. The future of the plant has been a central issue in collective bargaining negotiations between Unifor and Stellantis, which kicked off earlier this month. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT But the union said Friday, which it had set as its internal deadline to reach a new tentative deal, that the two sides were at an impasse. The current collective agreement is set to expire Sept. 20 at 11:59 p.m. Workers at the Brampton plant were laid off when the company halted operations there in 2023. Last month, the union said it received notice that Stellantis was considering the closure and sale of the plant. The facility had been slated to be retooled for Jeep production, a process that began early in 2024, before the company paused the plan in early 2025. Get daily Montreal news Get daily Montreal news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories. SIGN UP FOR DAILY MONTREAL NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. It later announced it was moving production of the Jeep Compass to the U.S., in what the union has…