Carney Calls Stellantis Plant Sale to Roshel a 'Partial Solution' Ahead of High-Stakes Toronto Talks
Prime Minister Mark Carney said the proposed sale of an idle Stellantis plant in Brampton to defence manufacturer Roshel is only a partial solution for laid-off workers, as federal, provincial, company, and union officials prepare for high-stakes negotiations over a $1.5 billion funding agreement.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has described the proposed sale of an idle Stellantis plant in Brampton to defence manufacturer Roshel as only a "partial solution" for laid-off workers, emphasizing that the automaker has an obligation to provide a global solution. His remarks came ahead of a high-stakes meeting scheduled for Thursday at a downtown Toronto hotel involving federal and provincial officials, Stellantis, and representatives from Unifor.
The dispute centers on whether Stellantis is fulfilling its obligations under a 2023 funding agreement. That year, the automaker received a $1.5 billion joint commitment from the federal and Ontario governments over 10 years to revive an electric vehicle battery facility in Windsor and prevent relocation to the U.S. The agreement required Stellantis to maintain its footprint in Ontario through 2035, including the Brampton plant. Separately, Ontario pledged $132 million specifically for Brampton re-tooling plans.
Unifor, which represents more than 9,000 Stellantis workers across Canada, stated that the Roshel takeover will jeopardize the jobs of more than 2,000 laid-off Brampton workers who have been waiting to return since operations halted in 2023. Unifor national president Lana Payne called the sale a "worst-case scenario" and accused Stellantis of betraying members.
Collective bargaining negotiations between Stellantis and Unifor broke down in September after the automaker signed a memorandum of understanding with Roshel. In October, Stellantis workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate, with 97.3 per cent voting yes.
Stellantis has offered to voluntarily return government support received for the Brampton Assembly's original retooling plan. Public records show Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development paid FCA Canada, now Stellantis, a total of $55.4 million between 2022 and 2025. While Stellantis claims it recognizes accountability and has offered to return some public funding, the union argues the sale violates commitments made under the broader funding agreements.