- Canada’s Unifor union will hold strike authorization votes later this month.
- This paves the way for members to walk off the line at Stellantis facilities.
- The big sticking point remains Stellantis’ desire to sell Brampton Assembly.
The fight between Stellantis and Unifor is intensifying as the Canadian labor union is proceeding with strike authorization votes. This ramps up pressure on the automaker, which wants to sell the Brampton Assembly Plant to Roshel, a Canadian defense manufacturer.
In an update, the union told members that negotiations with Stellantis remain at an impasse over several key issues. This includes the future of Brampton Assembly as well as the “core economic pattern being conditional on an agreement to close and sell the plant.”
More: Stellantis Wants To Sell Canadian Plant, Infuriating Union
Unifor went on to say the “unresolved issues … extend well beyond the future of the Brampton Assembly Plant” as “they relate to the broader job security of all union members and the future of Stellantis operations across Canada.” The idled plant has around 2,200 members, which makes it the automaker’s second-largest facility in the country behind Windsor Assembly and its roughly 6,400 workers. In total, Unifor has 9,140 members at Stellantis.
With nearly 25% of union jobs on the line, Unifor appears ready for battle. However, the union said a strike is a “last resort” and an important tool that can be used for reaching an agreement. Authorization votes will be held on October 17 and 18, while results are scheduled to be announced on October 19.
If a strike is authorized, it doesn’t necessarily mean one will take place. Instead, it enables the bargaining committee to call for a strike “if necessary.” This would increase pressure on Stellantis as a strike could halt production of the Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Charger. It could also disrupt some parts distribution and component production.
Brampton Assembly was scheduled to build the redesigned Jeep Compass, but Stellantis decided to move production to Belvidere Assembly in Illinois. The automaker initially suggested considered making another product at Brampton before reportedly changed its course over the summer as it considered selling the plant to a third-party.
The automaker eventually reached a Memorandum of Understanding with Roshel, which Stellantis said “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.” The union isn’t buying that story, and its contract with the automaker expired on September 20.
