Unifor to hold strike votes for 9,000 Stellantis workers as talks stall

TORONTO · The union representing 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada will hold strike authorization votes later this month as contract talks remain at an impasse. Unifor announced on Tuesday that the votes will take place on Oct. 17 and 18, with results to be made public on Oct. 19. A majority vote in favour would give the bargaining committee the authority to call a strike if necessary, though the union stressed that a strike is a last resort. The latest collective agreement with the automaker expired last month.

Unifor National President Lana Payne said negotiations are stalled over several key issues, including the future of the Brampton Assembly Plant and the core economic pattern being conditional on an agreement to close and sell the plant. "With negotiations still at an impasse over several key issues, including the future of the Brampton Assembly Plant and the core economic pattern being conditional on an agreement to close and sell the plant, the union will now proceed to hold strike votes," Payne said in a statement. She added that other unresolved issues include broader job security and the future of Stellantis operations across the country. The Brampton plant has been at the centre of the dispute. It halted operations in 2023 for retooling, resulting in more than 2,000 layoffs, but that process was paused in early 2025. Stellantis later moved Jeep Compass production to the United States. In September, the automaker confirmed it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian defence contractor Roshel for the potential sale of the site. Stellantis Canada president and CEO Trevor Longley said last month that "market and trade conditions have directly impacted the original business case" for the plant, and selling it could support future operations.

Unifor has rejected the proposed closure and sale, arguing it must find a suitable resolution for the workers at the plant. The union walked away from bargaining on Sept. 11 after Stellantis confirmed the preliminary sale agreement. "To be clear, the unresolved issues with the company extend well beyond the future of the Brampton Assembly Plant," the union said in its statement. "They relate to the broader job security of all union members and the future of Stellantis operations across Canada."

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The union also remains concerned about the future of Stellantis operations at the Windsor Assembly Plant and the Etobicoke Casting Plant. After 10 days of intensive bargaining in Toronto last month, Unifor said talks had reached an impasse, noting Stellantis had not confirmed its forecast plans for those facilities. Another major sticking point is that Stellantis has offered only a conditional agreement to the economic pattern settlement Unifor previously negotiated with Ford and General Motors, tying it to the closure of the Brampton facility. "Strike action remains a last resort, but the ability to strike is an important part of collective bargaining and can help create the conditions for an agreement," Payne said. If members authorize a strike, the union executive could leverage work stoppages at Stellantis's minivan plant in Windsor and parts plant in Toronto. The federal government has said any sale would put Stellantis in violation of a funding agreement that saw the company receive millions in taxpayer dollars to retool the Brampton plant.

Unifor has already reached new collective agreements with Ford and GM. The union had hoped to reach a tentative agreement with Stellantis without a strike vote, as it did with those other automakers. The results of the strike authorization votes will be announced on Oct. 19.

With files from BNN Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail and Unifor National