Workers at Stellantis in Ontario, represented by Unifor, have overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike mandate, with 97 percent supporting it as negotiations continue to be stalled.
Voting took place over the weekend for two days.
The employees work at facilities located in Windsor, Toronto, and the currently closed Brampton assembly plant.
Unifor represents more than 9,000 Stellantis workers across Canada.
The union has stated that any potential strike would be a last resort for these Ontario workers.
“When you deliver a strike authorization vote north of 97 per cent across our Stellantis workplaces, you send a powerful message of unity and strength,” said James Stewart, Unifor Local 444 president, in a social media video released Monday morning.
“You have given us the tools to get this done.”
Company Says It’s Committed to Good-Faith Bargaining
Stellantis responded to a comment request from on Monday morning.
“Stellantis remains committed to bargaining in good faith and is prepared to continue discussions toward a negotiated agreement that recognizes the contributions of our employees while supporting the long-term competitiveness of our Canadian operations,” said spokesperson Lou Ann Gosselin.
Unifor national president Lana Payne mentioned that members stand united in their goal to secure a “fair agreement” with Stellantis “that protects jobs for Canadian autoworkers.”
More than 2,000 Stellantis workers were laid off in Brampton in 2023. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)
Currently, the union states it is not legally positioned for a strike since neither Stellantis nor Unifor has requested a No Board report-one of the necessary steps under labor law for job action.
A major sticking point has been uncertainty regarding the Brampton factory. Recently, Stellantis announced plans to sell the property to defense contractor Roshel.
Over 2,000 workers were laid off in Brampton during 2023 when production of its Jeep Compass was moved to Illinois.
Unifor argues that closing and selling Brampton could jeopardize workers’ wages, pensions, and benefits while also having wider effects on Ontario’s automotive sector and supply chain.
Trevor Longley, president and CEO of Stellantis Canada previously stated that Canada is an important market for them and they have invested over $8 billion into their Canadian operations since 2022.
In Windsor, they reinstated a third shift back in February.
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