Contract talks between Unifor and Stellantis have broken down over the fate of the Brampton Assembly Plant, with the union saying the company has signed a memorandum of understanding to sell the site to Roshel, a Canadian armoured vehicle maker.
In a statement issued Thursday, Unifor said its master bargaining committee had paused negotiations in Toronto after 10 days of intensive talks and a September 11 deadline passed without agreement. The union said it is “actively considering next steps.”
The sticking point is Brampton. Unifor said Stellantis is proposing to close and sell the plant, and that it will not settle a contract that leaves those workers behind. “There will be no tentative settlement without a suitable resolution for Local 1285 members at Brampton,” the union said.
How it got here
By Unifor’s account, Stellantis walked away in October 2025 from a commitment to invest in Jeep production at Brampton, citing tariffs. In August 2026 the company told the union it was “seriously considering the closure and sale of the facility to a third-party.” The union opposed that then and says it opposes it now, arguing a closure would hit members’ wages and pensions and deal a heavy blow to Ontario’s auto sector.
The current collective agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. on September 20, which sets the clock on what happens next.
The account above is the union’s. Stellantis has not published a statement of its own setting out the terms of the memorandum or its plans for the site, and the company’s position here is as described by Unifor.
Source: Unifor, “Unifor statement on contract negotiations with Stellantis,” September 11, 2026.
