OTTAWA--Nearly all 9,000 Canadian employees at Stellantis voted to give its union a mandate to seek a strike unless there is progress on a new deal and the future of a Toronto-area plant.
Unifor, the private-sector Canadian union, said that over 97% of Stellantis members voted over the weekend in favor of a strike if required. The union said it isn't in a strike position at this time as that formal steps are required under province of Ontario labor laws.
Last month, the union warned it could be in a strike position unless the car maker changes course on a plan to sell a factory in Brampton, Ontario, to a defense firm. Unifor declared talks with Stellantis to be at an impasse.
"We believe there is a path to a fair collective agreement with Stellantis so long as the company honors its commitments and does right by its workers," James Stewart, who is leading talks on behalf of Unifor with Stellantis, said.
Previously, Stellantis planned to ramp up production of its Jeep Compass model at the Brampton plant but that changed after President Trump deployed stiff tariffs on foreign-made cars. Stellantis shifted production of the Jeep Compass to Illinois, and the company, citing U.S. trade policy and market conditions, said there is no long-term business case that justifies restarting production in Brampton.
The sale of the Brampton factory to armored-car maker Roshel "could support future operations at the site," Trevor Longley, head of Stellantis's Canadian unit, said.
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