Stellantis says it has signed an agreement with Roshel to sell its idled Brampton, Ont., assembly plant, following years of production changes and labour conflict.
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Stellantis has officially signed an agreement with defence contractor Roshel to sell its Brampton, Ont., assembly plant, which had been idle for years.
The facility was first idled in December 2023 as Stellantis moved to retool for production of the Jeep Compass electric SUV. More than 2,200 workers represented by Unifor Local 1285 were laid off at that time. Retooling was set to begin in January 2024, but the company halted the work after U.S. President Donald Trump began rolling out tariffs in 2025.
On Oct. 14, 2025, Stellantis said production previously earmarked for the Brampton plant was being moved to Illinois as part of a US$13-billion plan to expand U.S. production by 50 per cent over the next four years.
The following day, Oct. 15, Unifor and Canadian politicians called on Stellantis to fulfil commitments made to workers. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the company had a duty to live up to its promises, and Prime Minister Mark Carney said the move was a direct consequence of the latest U.S. tariffs. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly later said in a letter that she had “extreme concern” and threatened legal action, saying Stellantis had agreed to maintain its full Canadian footprint, including Brampton operations, in exchange for financial support dating back to the 2009 government bailouts.
On Oct. 16, Carney said he had been told by the global head of Stellantis that the company was seeking a new model for Brampton, while calling for more trade certainty before making a decision.
On Nov. 3, 2025, Joly said Ottawa was launching a dispute resolution process against Stellantis over the decision to move production to the U.S. She told a House of Commons committee that she sent a letter informing the company that Ottawa was initiating a formal, 30-day settlement process to “recover” taxpayer funds and “bring back production” to the facility.
On Dec. 4, Joly said Canada issued a notice of default of its federal contracts after Stellantis shifted some production to the U.S.
Unifor said the company was seriously considering closure and sale of the assembly plant on Aug. 14, 2026. On Sept. 1, 2026, Unifor and Stellantis began contract talks as the potential sale loomed.
On Sept. 11, 2026, Stellantis said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Roshel to sell the plant. Unifor paused contract talks, citing an impasse over the plant’s future, and later urged the federal government to intervene. On Sept. 17, Unifor said a strike was a “real possibility” after labour negotiations broke down.
On Oct. 19, Unifor said Stellantis workers in Canada voted 97.3 per cent in favour of a strike mandate. On Nov. 6, Unifor said it believed Stellantis had sold its idled assembly plant, while the company did not confirm or deny whether a sale had been finalized.
On Nov. 9, 2026, Stellantis said it had officially signed an agreement with Roshel. Under the asset purchase agreement, Roshel will acquire the facility and associated equipment for an undisclosed amount. Unifor national president Lana Payne said at a press conference that the automaker had betrayed union members with an “underhanded deal” that walked away from commitments to workers at the plant, while Roshel CEO Roman Shimonov defended the deal as “the best thing that can happen to this plant and to this city,” adding that he was surprised the government had not publicly supported the sale given Roshel’s plan to create thousands of jobs at the idled facility.
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