Unifor’s national leader urges the Canadian government to uphold Stellantis’ previous commitments to Canada and its automotive workforce. Lana Payne praised Industry Minister Mélanie Joly’s recent efforts to potentially recover tax incentives granted to the automaker. She emphasized that companies like Stellantis should not be allowed to import vehicles without facing tariffs for reneging on promises to Canadian workers.
Canada has initiated a dispute resolution process following Stellantis’ decision to relocate jobs related to the new Jeep Compass model from its Ontario facility to a plant in Illinois. The 30-day period began on Oct. 20 when the government notified Stellantis about the action, according to Joly. Stellantis clarified that the Brampton plant is not permanently closed, and no jobs have been eliminated, as stated to CBC News.
In addition to the ongoing dispute resolution process, Payne advocates for Ottawa to leverage all available tools to retain production in Canada. She stressed the importance of safeguarding the automotive sector and ensuring companies uphold their commitments to the country.
Both the Ontario and federal governments had previously committed significant subsidies to Stellantis under agreements, including a substantial deal to establish an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Windsor in partnership with LG Energy Solution. They also pledged to modernize the Windsor and Brampton factories for EV production.