Unifor members rallied at two Ontario auto plants this week as Stellantis and General Motors move production out of Canada, threatening thousands of unionized jobs and breaking commitments made to workers and governments.
The union organized solidarity actions at Stellantis’ Brampton Assembly Plant and GM’s CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll on Oct. 29, with further demonstrations planned for Oct. 30. The rallies follow recent announcements that will eliminate production at both facilities.
Stellantis shifts Jeep production to U.S.
Stellantis announced earlier this month it will transfer the Jeep Compass program from Brampton Assembly Plant to the United States. The move breaks commitments the automaker made to Unifor members and to the Ontario and federal governments, according to the union.
“By eliminating good paying auto jobs here in Canada automakers are betraying the very workers and communities that built their success,” said Lana Payne, Unifor national president. “We know there is a trade war, but the Canadian market is very important. We are in fact their number one export market and Canadians expect these companies to maintain production here and any attempt to dismantle operations at these plants will not be tolerated.”
GM cancels electric vehicle program
General Motors cancelled the BrightDrop electric vehicle program at CAMI Assembly Plant with no replacement product announced. The automaker is also preparing to eliminate the third shift at its Oshawa Assembly Plant in January.
“The future of these plants are tied to the livelihoods of Canadians. Stellantis and GM cannot treat these jobs as bargaining chips in their dealings with Trump,” said Samia Hashi, Unifor Ontario regional director. “These companies owe it to their workers and to Canada to stand by their commitments and keep production here.”
Union represents 320,000 private sector workers
Unifor is Canada’s largest private sector union, representing 320,000 workers across major economic sectors. Workers, union leaders and community supporters gathered at both facilities to show collective resolve to protect jobs and keep production in Canada.
