NewzTORONTO - The union representing workers at Stellantis says it has paused contract negotiations after being unable to reach a new collective agreement with the automaker by its internal deadline Friday. Automaker Stellantis says it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian armoured vehicle maker Roshel on a potential sale of its idled Brampton assembly plant. Meanwhile, the union representing Canadian workers at Stellantis said it has paused contract talks, citing an impasse over the future of the Brampton plant.
Trevor Longley, chairman, president and CEO of Stellantis Canada, said the company considered multiple options for the facility, which has been idled since 2023. “Stellantis believes that Roshel represents a strong path to restoring sustainable operations at Brampton Assembly, preserving the site’s strategic role in Canada’s advanced manufacturing sector and helping to avoid a prolonged period of inactivity,” Longley said in an emailed statement. Unifor is now “actively considering next steps” and said it will provide further details in the days ahead.
The current collective agreement between the automaker and union is set to expire Sept. Related: Thousands of jobs, billions of dollars on the line in Brampton defence company’s bid to expand Brampton-based Roshel in the mix as Canada narrows search for armoured vehicle fleet The talks began Sept. 1 in Toronto after Unifor ratified new collective agreements with Ford Motor Co.
and General Motors in Canada earlier in the summer as part of its pattern bargaining process with each of the Detroit Three. 11 deadline to reach a new deal with Stellantis, it said Friday that talks had broken down after 10 days. “The persistence of the company’s proposal to close and sell the Brampton plant has hindered the bargaining process,” said Unifor spokesperson Kathleen O’Keefe in a statement.
“The proposed facility closure and sale threaten the wages, pensions and other benefits of Unifor members. It also deals a devastating blow to Canada’s industrial sector, especially in the province of Ontario and the community of Brampton.” She added there is “no economic substitute for automotive assembly in Canada, including the extensive supply chain, regional economic activity, and high-quality, union jobs connected to it.” More than 2,000 workers were laid off from the Brampton plant when it halted operations in 2023. Related: New GM deal sees return of next-gen HD trucks to Oshawa, promise not to sell idled CAMI plant Ford and Unifor strike tentative deal for thr…
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