The future of thousands of auto workers in Brampton hangs in the balance as employees at the Stellantis assembly plant fight to save their jobs after the company announced plans to move production of the Jeep Compass from Canada to the United States.
At a rally held outside the plant on October 29, Unifor Local 1285 President Vito Beato delivered a fiery message to workers, vowing that “nothing is leaving this plant until we get back to work.”
“The company has violated our collective agreement, violated its commitments to both the provincial and federal governments, and betrayed the trust of Canadian workers,” Beato declared to loud applause. “Our members deserve to be back in this plant. They ratified an agreement that allows them to be back — they should be working today.”
The Brampton facility, which employs around 3,000 workers, has been idle since January 2024, when Stellantis began retooling the plant for electric and hybrid vehicle production. Workers say they were promised that the new Jeep Compass would be built in Brampton once the retooling was complete — a commitment they now say has been broken.
Workers Call Move ‘Devastating’
Many workers at the rally described the decision as not just an economic blow, but a betrayal of generations of families who’ve built their lives around the Brampton assembly line.
Beau Bisson, who started with Stellantis in 2011 and whose entire family works at the plant, said employees “bargained in good faith” to secure the future of Canadian auto jobs.
“They didn’t hold up their end of the deal,” he said. “The vehicle we bargained for is now going to Illinois, and that’s just not right.”
Beato echoed that frustration, calling the move “devastating” for the community. “We’re not just fighting for jobs,” he said. “We’re fighting for families, for our city, and for the future of Canada’s auto industry.”
Government Pushes Back
In a show of federal support, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly attended the rally and announced that Ottawa has launched a dispute resolution process against Stellantis. Joly said she has written to the company initiating a formal 30-day settlement process aimed at recovering taxpayer funds and restoring production in Brampton.
“This country is at an important moment,” Joly told the crowd. “Canadians are watching, and we must stand united to send a clear message — this plant matters, and the best auto workers in the world are right here in Canada.”
The City of Brampton has also moved to obtain intervenor status in any upcoming legal or regulatory proceedings related to the dispute, reinforcing local support for workers.
Union Vows to ‘Fight Back with Everything We Have’
Unifor National President Lana Payne called the fight to keep Jeep production in Brampton “the fight of our lives,” warning that Stellantis’s move is part of a larger “trade war” threatening thousands of Canadian manufacturing jobs.
“We have only one choice,” Payne said. “To stand up for Canadian workers, stand up for Canadian jobs, and fight back with everything we have.”
Appearing before a House of Commons industry and technology committee last week, Stellantis President Jeff Hines said the company is “exploring options” to bring laid-off employees back to work, but did not specify whether that would include returning production to Brampton.
For now, the workers and their union say they have no plans to back down. “This plant built its reputation on quality, loyalty, and hard work,” Beato said. “And we’re not going to let that legacy die without a fight.”