The union representing 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada says it will hold strike authorization votes later this month as talks with the U.S. automaker remain at an impasse. Unifor announced on Tuesday that the votes will take place on Oct. 17 and 18. If members give their approval, the bargaining committee will have an option to call a strike if necessary. “With negotiations still at an impasse over several key issues, including the future of the Brampton Assembly Plant and the core economic pattern being conditional on an agreement to close and sell the plant, the union will now proceed to hold strike votes,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a statement. Payne added that other issues include job security and the future of Stellantis operations across the country. “Strike action remains a last resort, but the ability to strike is an important part of collective bargaining and can help create the conditions for an agreement,” Payne said. The latest collective bargaining agreement with the automaker expired last month. The future of the Brampton Assembly plant had been at the centre of negotiations with Stellantis, which previously announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian defence contractor Roshel for the potential sale of the site. The plant halted operations in 2023, which resulted in more than 2,000 workers being laid off, as Stellantis started retooling it for Jeep production. However, that process was paused in early 2025 in the midst of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The automaker later announced that same year that Jeep Compass production would be moved to the U.S. Stellantis Canada president and CEO Trevor Longley said in a letter to employees last month that “market and trade conditions have directly impacted the original business case” for the Brampton plant, and selling it could support future operations at the site. Payne said the union will announce the results of the votes on Oct. 19. Unifor has already reached new collective agreements with Ford and GM. With files from The Canadian Press
