Unifor National President Lana Payne warned a strike is a "real possibility" for over 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada if the automaker proceeds with selling the Brampton, Ont. assembly plant to defence contractor Roshel. Payne called the sale "indefensible" amid the Canada-U.S. trade war, stating Brampton could be the first auto plant to fall and unlikely to reopen. Stellantis signed a memorandum of understanding with Roshel for the idled facility, which halted operations in 2023 after over 2,000 layoffs.

The plant had been slated for Jeep Compass retooling before production shifted to the U.S., a move Unifor grieved as a collective agreement violation. Unifor hopes to reach a new deal before the current contract expires Sunday at 11:59 p.m., but requires Stellantis to reverse course. Stellantis Canada president Trevor Longley cited market and trade conditions as impacting the original business case, noting the company evaluated alternatives without finding a sustainable long-term solution.

The Brampton plant’s future remains central to ongoing contract negotiations that began earlier this month, with talks stalled after news of the MOU with Roshel emerged.