'Canadian auto jobs are being sacrificed on the Trump altar'
Workers’ union Unifor is calling on the federal government to provide more support and take action to protect Canadian auto jobs following Stellantis’s announcement of a $13 billion investment to expand production in the United States, including the relocation of Jeep production from the Brampton Assembly Plant to Illinois.
On Tuesday, the carmaker announced that it will invest $13 billion over the next four years to grow its business in the U.S. market. This includes the shift of Jeep production slated for the Brampton Assembly Plant to an Illinois facility, according to Unifor.
“Canadian auto jobs are being sacrificed on the Trump altar,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We need the federal government to use Canada’s leverage now to fight for our auto jobs. Stellantis cannot be allowed to renege on its commitments to Canadian workers, and governments cannot stand by while our jobs are shifted to the United States. Saving Brampton Assembly must now be this country’s top priority, sending a strong message to any corporation thinking they can take the same egregious actions.”
The retooling of the Brampton Assembly Plant was paused in February after the announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian-made vehicles imported into the U.S.
“Stellantis made a commitment to Brampton autoworkers, to our federal and provincial governments, to our communities, and to this country,” said Vito Beato, Vice Chair of the Unifor-Stellantis bargaining committee and President of Unifor Local 1285, which represents workers at the Brampton Assembly Plant. “We intend to hold Stellantis to everything it promised,” Beato added.
Earlier this year, Stellantis announced it is laying off thousands of workers in Canada following the U.S. government’s decision to impose tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles.
‘A coordinated Team Canada approach’
The latest Stellantis news broke shortly after a Unifor delegation, led by Payne, met with Premier Ford to discuss coordinated strategies to counter ongoing U.S. tariffs and protect auto jobs at risk from new trade threats, the union noted. The Unifor delegation, representing members at General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, voiced growing concerns over potential investment and job losses at Canadian Detroit Three facilities due to trade pressures from the Trump administration.
“We need a coordinated Team Canada approach, bringing all sectors together to use the power we have. You don’t sell out one sector for another. You can’t cut side deals on energy, steel, or aluminum—the very materials the U.S. needs. If we give away that leverage, we won’t have any left,” Unifor emphasized.
Unifor also highlighted recent comments from U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who stated that the Trump administration’s goal is to end vehicle assembly in Canada and move those jobs south. “Targeted Canadian industries are already experiencing the financial impact and job losses due to Trump’s sustained attacks,” Payne said.
“Ever since this tariff war began, governments promised—consistently—that they would defend the auto industry in this country, and the 500,000 jobs it sustains. Our union expects a thorough and decisive government response plan to retain auto jobs in Brampton, and to roll out the industrial strategies needed to defend the entire manufacturing industry in Canada,” Unifor concluded.
Government response and support
In a statement Tuesday night, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the federal government is working with the Ontario government and Unifor to protect the Brampton employees and create new opportunities for them.
"We have further made clear that we expect Stellantis to fulfill the undertakings they have made to the workers of Brampton," he said, according to a CBC report.
In March, Carney announced plans to create a $2-billion Strategic Response Fund that will boost the auto sector’s competitiveness and protect manufacturing jobs. Earlier this month, Ottawa also said that it will introduce a new reskilling package to train up to 50,000 workers, with an additional $450 million invested over three years through Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs).
