Moving Jeep production from Stellantis’ Brampton plant to U.S. ‘an egregious violation,’ union council says

Appalling, egregious and disrespectful – that’s what the union council representing some 8,000 Canadian autoplant workers is calling Stellantis’ plan to move production from Brampton to the U.S.

“Stellantis’ decision is an egregious violation of the company’s collective agreement commitments made to our union, our members and their families,” the Unifor Stellantis Council said in a letter on Friday.

This American car manufacturer announced earlier this week it has cancelled plans to produce the Jeep Compass at the Brampton Assembly Plant, and will instead have the vehicles built at a facility in Illinois.

The move will impact some 3,000 Brampton workers who had been waiting for the retooling of the Williams Parkway plant to produce the Jeep.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke with the global head of Stellantis on Tuesday and received assurances that there are options for the Brampton plant and support would be provided to local workers.

Premier Doug Ford said he has also been told by the car manufacturer that there are plans for Brampton.

But the union council says it “unequivocally rejects” Stellantis moving Jeep production away from Brampton, and that members “will take all necessary steps to reverse this decision, in coordination with Unifor’s national leadership.”

“Stellantis’ actions are appalling,” the letter reads, adding that company reps “reassured (members) that the vehicle commitment to Brampton was unchanged” following delays in retooling the plant.

The union said it was only notified of Stellantis’ decision “minutes before” the public announcement on Tuesday.

“This is totally disrespectful and inappropriate behaviour by the company,” the union council says.

They also question comments from Stellantis CEO Anthony Filosa, suggesting “there are ‘strong plans’ in the works for Brampton Assembly.”

“To be clear, Unifor has not been notified of any alternative plans for production at Brampton,” the letter reads, adding “there is no reason to treat (Filosa’s) public statements as credible, or reliable.”

Stellantis has said it has plans for Brampton that will be revealed following negotiations with the Canadian federal government.

But the council says the federal government is not in a legal bargaining position for Brampton Assembly Plant workers, and that any future conversations about the future of Brampton Assembly Plant “must include Unifor.”

Speaking at a rally held by the union that represents the workers at the closed Brampton facility earlier this month, Ford said it’s time for the plant to reopen and start making cars again.

“Open the damn plant, we need to get our workers back into the plant,” Ford said in front of Unifor workers.

– With files from Steve Pecar