Stellantis announced Tuesday it will invest $13 billion over the next four years to expand its U.S. manufacturing capabilities. a move that will move production of one model out of Ontario, disturbing about Canadian jobs.
Company, formerly known as Chrysler, says the Jeep Compass, which was previously scheduled to be built at the Brampton Assembly Plant, will move to the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois.
Stellantis says the new investment will increase U.S. auto production by 50 percent and create more than 5,000 jobs.
But in Canada, it means “automotive jobs are being sacrificed on the altar of Trump,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a statement.
Brampton, Ontario the plant has been shut down since the beginning of 2024 to retool to create a next-generation car model, but that work was halted in February due to a looming tariff threat.
Payne called on the government to take action to protect jobs.
“Stellantis cannot be allowed to renege on its commitment to Canadian workers, and governments cannot stand by while our jobs are transferred to the United States,” said Payne, whose union represents thousands of auto workers at Stellantis, Ford and General Motors.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown called the decision deeply disappointing.
“This announcement represents a step back from the commitment to modernize and retool the Brampton plant – a commitment that gave its 3,000 employees and their families hope for a safe and sustainable future in automotive manufacturing,” he said in a statement.
Stellantis' $13 billion investment in the US The Canadian auto industry faces both uncertainty and financial pressure from tariffs imposed this year by U.S. President Donald Trump, who wants to boost domestic auto production.
Prime Minister Mark Carney called The decision is “a direct consequence of current U.S. tariffs and potential future U.S. trade actions.”
In a statement Tuesday night, Carney said the federal government is working with the Ontario government and Unifor to protect Brampton employees and create new opportunities for them.
“We have also made it clear that we expect Stellantis to live up to the commitments they have made to the workers of Brampton,” he said.
Never stop fighting.– Ontario Premier Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he emphasized his disappointment with Stellantis and let them know he will “never stop fighting” for the province's auto workers.
“This decision is especially painful for those workers who have been out of work for months,” he said Wednesday morning. post on social networks.
Ford said no provincial dollars have flown to the automaker for its Brampton project (and that no one will move forward) until his government receives “clear assurance” about when the plant will reopen.
“Stellantis is committed to delivering on its promise to Brampton’s auto workers and continuing to operate in Brampton.”
Canada is 'very important'
When asked what would happen to the Brampton plant, a Stellantis spokesman said: “Canada is very important to us. We have plans for Brampton and will share these following further discussions with the Canadian government.”
“We have been in Canada for over 100 years and have invested,” said Luann Gosselin, head of communications for Stellantis in Canada.
She noted that the company announced plans to complete I promise to add a third shift to the Windsor Assembly Plant in southwestern Ontario.
Last week, as reports of Stellantis' upcoming investment were released in the U.S., one auto industry analyst told CBC News the move wouldn't come as a shock.
“It wasn't a surprise to me, and I don't think anyone who's been watching what's happening in the United States should be surprised by it either,” said Tom Venetis, editor of Octane magazine.
He says the new tariff regime is forcing Stellantis to “rethink” its investment and production strategies.
