OTTAWA — Tensions are rising between the federal government and automaker Stellantis after the company abruptly announced it will shift production of the Jeep Compass from Brampton, Ontario, to the United States — a move that could threaten thousands of Canadian auto jobs.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly told Parliament on Monday that the company’s decision is “completely unacceptable,” confirming that Stellantis Canada President Jeff Hines was summoned to Ottawa for urgent talks with federal officials and Unifor representatives. “Stellantis has made solemn commitments to this government and to their workers, and they need to honour them,” Joly said. “We will hold them to account.”
The Brampton assembly plant, which employs roughly 3,000 workers, had long been promised a return to Jeep production. In 2023, Stellantis pledged the facility would “re-join the Jeep family” as the home of the next-generation Jeep Compass, following significant government-backed retooling. Last week’s reversal shocked workers and officials alike.
A House of Commons committee has approved a motion to review Ottawa’s contracts and funding agreements with Stellantis, following a request by Conservative MP Garnett Genuis. Members will examine documents to determine whether the automaker’s actions breach any federal commitments — and whether legal action is warranted.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he has spoken directly with Stellantis’ global leadership and received assurances that “options for the Brampton plant” are being explored and that the federal government “will stand by local workers.” Ontario Premier Doug Ford echoed those comments, saying he has also been told there are “plans for Brampton,” though details remain unclear.
The move comes amid mounting pressure on the North American auto sector from U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariffs, which Stellantis says could cost the company $2.6 billion in the first half of 2025 alone.
Unifor’s Brampton workers’ council blasted the automaker’s decision, calling it “appalling” and a betrayal of repeated assurances. In a statement, the union said members were informed of the production shift “minutes before” the public announcement. “We unequivocally reject Stellantis’ decision to move Jeep production away from Brampton and will take all necessary steps to reverse it,” the union said.
With the plant’s future now uncertain, federal officials are racing to keep one of Ontario’s key auto manufacturing sites alive — and to ensure that Stellantis’ promises to Canadian workers don’t become another casualty of shifting global trade politics.