Future of automaker Stellantis remains unclear in Brampton, along with thousands of jobs tied to a ‘cornerstone’ economic driver for city

As workers prepare for a strike vote and automaker Stellantis considers selling its Brampton plant to defence manufacturer Roshel, local industry insiders warn the company’s potential exit from the city could have far-reaching economic impacts.

Thousands of workers at the Brampton assembly plant have been on layoff since Stellantis halted production at the facility in December 2023 to retool for the production of the next-generation Jeep Compass.

They have been receiving income supports and health benefits under their collective agreement.

However, Stellantis announced in October 2025 that the vehicles would no longer be produced in Brampton, leaving workers and businesses that rely on automotive production at the facility uncertain about their future.

After exploring a range of options for the facility, Stellantis signed a memorandum of understanding with Roshel in September 2026, outlining a potential sale of the plant to the Canadian defence manufacturer.

Unifor has expressed opposition to the proposed deal.

“This decision will impact more than 2,000 high-paid, union workers and hundreds of supplier firms, employing thousands in proximity to the plant.

There is no comparable economic replacement for this work.

Canada’s economy will be worse-off as a result.

I cannot state this in any clearer terms,” said Lana Payne, the national president of Unifor, in a letter to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly.

Currently, talks between Stellantis and Unifor are at an impasse as the union demands the company keep the Brampton assembly plant active.

Vito Beato, the president of Unifor Local 1285, which represents workers at the Stellantis plant, has pushed back on the suggestion a Roshel operation could replace the economic activity generated by the automotive plant.

No replacement for auto plant jobs “There is no replacement for an auto plant in any community, especially in Brampton where we have 3,000 members … working in the plant,” said Beato.

“On top of that, you have your independent part supplier base that feeds the plant … let alone the other spinoff jobs in the community regarding businesses, truck drivers … as far as how important an auto plant is to a community like Brampton … So many thousands of jobs come from the plant,” added Beato.