When Stellantis paused operations at its Brampton Assembly Plant in December 2023 to prepare for the electric Jeep Compass, over 2,200 Unifor Local 1285 workers likely assumed their temporary layoff was just a brief speed bump on the road to a green EV future. They didn’t know they were embarking on a multi-year corporate soap opera fueled by global trade disputes, political drama, and a sudden pivot from consumer SUVs to military-grade armored vehicles.
Reorganization began smoothly in early 2024, but the narrative derailed in 2025 when U.S. President Donald Trump imposed fresh trade tariffs, prompting Stellantis to abruptly freeze work in Brampton. By October 14, 2025, the automaker dropped a bombshell, shifting Brampton’s assigned production to Illinois as part of a $13 billion U.S. expansion strategy.
Outraged Canadian politicians quickly jumped into the fray. Ontario Premier Doug Ford demanded honor, while Prime Minister Mark Carney blamed American protectionism. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly expressed extreme concern, threatening legal action to claw back taxpayer bailouts dating as far back as 2009.
Despite Ottawa initiating formal dispute resolution in November 2025 and issuing default notices by December, corporate strategy marched on. By August 2026, rumors swirled that the facility was on the chopping block. Unifor launched contract negotiations that September, only for Stellantis to reveal a signed memorandum of understanding with Canadian defense contractor Roshel.
Talk of a 97.3% strike vote quickly followed, but the union’s leverage evaporated on November 9, 2026, when Stellantis officially signed the final sales agreement, handing over the Brampton plant and its equipment to Roshel for an undisclosed sum.
Unifor National President Lana Payne slammed the transaction as a sneaky betrayal, while Canadian Labour Congress President Bea Bruske urged Ottawa to leverage public funds and force binding corporate commitments.
Meanwhile, Roshel CEO Roman Shimonov expressed bewilderment at the government’s lack of applause, claiming the acquisition of an idle automotive plant to build defense equipment is the best thing that could happen to the city.
Whether Brampton’s former auto workers agree that trading electric family crossovers for combat-ready battle wagons is a win remains highly questionable. Canada’s automotive assembly capacity just took a heavy, armored hit.