The possible sale of Stellantis’ Brampton plant to Roshel has opened a new dispute between the company and the union, while more than 2,000 workers wait to learn the future of the Canadian facility. Unifor wants Brampton to remain an automotive plant and has asked the federal government to explain its role in talks over a possible sale to the armored-vehicle manufacturer.
Brampton dispute escalates as Unifor increases pressure on Ottawa over Stellantis
Unifor President Lana Payne wrote to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, asking which alternatives the government has considered and whether Ottawa has supported the Roshel proposal. The union also wants to know how a sale would fit with Stellantis’ previous industrial commitments and with the ongoing dispute over the plant’s future.
Brampton had originally been scheduled to build the new Jeep Compass, but Stellantis later dropped that plan and shifted production to the United States. According to Unifor, the company continued to discuss possible new investments after that decision. In August 2026, Stellantis then said it was seriously evaluating whether to end operations and sell the site.
Roshel has proposed a different use for the factory, focused on specialty and defense vehicles. The company says the project could create more than 2,000 jobs and plans to give former Stellantis employees priority in hiring.
Unifor argues that this would not amount to preserving Brampton as an automotive manufacturing plant. The union is also concerned about suppliers and businesses that grew around the facility and depend on continued vehicle assembly. In its view, the promise of new jobs does not fully address the broader issue of what kind of industrial activity should remain at the site.
Meanwhile, Stellantis and Unifor have agreed to extend the current financial protections for workers. Those benefits will remain in place until the parties reach a new agreement or a strike or lockout formally begins, providing some support during the current period of uncertainty.
The collective agreement expires on September 20 at 11:59 p.m., but that deadline does not automatically trigger a work stoppage. Ontario’s conciliation process still requires additional steps before any strike or lockout could begin.
The Brampton dispute remains the main obstacle to a new labor agreement. Unifor suspended formal negotiations after ten days of talks and says no deal can move forward without an acceptable solution for employees at the plant. The memorandum with Roshel, meanwhile, does not represent a completed sale.
