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Brampton plant deal is not final, Unifor stresses

The union says bargaining with Stellantis continues, while auto-parts manufacturers warn that Roshel's smaller-scale production cannot replace the plant's wider economic role.

Channel: CBC News ·

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Stellantis sells Brampton auto assembly plant to defence company Roshel | Power & Politics

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0:00Stellantis has agreed to sell the Brampton plant to Roshel for an undisclosed price.
4:47Volpe argues that smaller-scale defense production cannot sustain the same auto-parts supply network.
9:13Payne says Unifor was excluded from the sale discussions and opposes losing automotive production at the site.
12:07Payne stresses that the sale remains conditional and workers remain Stellantis employees pending a final agreement.
21:40Ellerton highlights the plant's lengthy idleness and uncertainty over workers' severance.
24:58Kattar argues that displaced workers cannot simply relocate, stressing the consequences for the Brampton community.

Stellantis's agreement to sell its Brampton assembly plant does not yet end its obligations to the workers, Unifor president Lana Payne says. The deal remains conditional, and the union is still bargaining with the automaker.

That distinction is central to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News's Power & Politics coverage of the proposed sale to Canadian armored-vehicle manufacturer Roshel. Host David Cochrane reports that the price is undisclosed and the transaction is expected to close by the end of the year. More than 2,000 laid-off workers face the risk of losing their jobs permanently.

Speaking at a Toronto news conference, Payne says Unifor was excluded from the sale discussions. She opposes removing the Brampton site, in Ontario near Toronto, from automotive production and insists that the workers remain Stellantis employees pending a final agreement. Local union official Vito Beato describes workers as angry, disrespected and let down by those involved.

The concern extends beyond the assembly line. Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, argues that Roshel's defense output is too small to sustain the supplier network supported by mass-market car production. He maintains that profitable automotive manufacturing remains possible at the site and calls for federal scrutiny under the Investment Canada Act.

Government commitments are another point of pressure. The broadcast highlights $529 million in federal funding announced in 2022 to help Stellantis update Canadian facilities for electric-vehicle production. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly says the sale does not erase the company's commitments to workers and calls for all parties to return to bargaining. Stellantis says it remains committed to a fair resolution after three years of paid layoff.

The closing panel offers different readings of what can still be achieved. Brad Lavigne urges Ottawa to enforce its agreements; Jamie Ellerton stresses the plant's lengthy idleness and uncertain severance outcomes. Rob Russo attributes the plant's predicament to Donald Trump's tariffs. Vandana Kattar emphasizes the local consequences: workers cannot simply be moved elsewhere like the products they make.