Stellantis, Unifor begin contract negotiations in final round of auto sector talks
Posted September 1, 2026 1:00 am.
Last Updated September 1, 2026 10:33 am.
The union representing nearly 19,000 Canadian auto workers opened contract talks with Stellantis, marking the final round of its bargaining with the Detroit Three.
Unifor has already ratified new collective agreements with Ford Motor Co. and General Motors this summer.
Unifor typically uses pattern bargaining for its auto sector negotiations, setting terms it hopes to replicate with other companies.
Last month, the union said it received notice that Stellantis was considering the closure and sale of its Brampton, Ont., assembly plant, which has been idled since 2023.
The Brampton plant had been slated to be retooled for Jeep production, a process that began early in 2024, before the company paused the plan in early 2025. It later announced it was moving production of the Jeep Compass to the United States, leaving the plant idled indefinitely.
Unifor national president Lana Payne had said the union was informed of the company’s intent to “open discussions with another firm about the potential sale of the plant.” When asked, Stellantis neither confirmed nor denied that it’s considering closing and selling the plant.
“We approach these discussions with respect for the process, appreciation for our represented employees, and a commitment to bargaining in good faith,” said Trevor Longley, president of Stellantis Canada, said in a statement.
“As the automotive industry continues to navigate significant economic, trade and competitive pressures, our goal is to reach an agreement that recognizes the contributions of our employees while helping ensure our Canadian operations remain competitive. We look forward to constructive discussions in the weeks ahead.”
The talks come against the backdrop of U.S. tariffs battering local automakers, as a 25 per cent levy on all cars and trucks not built in the U.S. remains in place, excluding those that comply with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened last week on social media to hike tariffs on all vehicles, auto parts and steel from Canada to 50 per cent beginning Jan. 1.
Larry Savage, a labour studies professor at Brock University, said Unifor is “fighting a battle on two fronts” at the current moment.
“At the bargaining table, the union is pushing Stellantis to maintain vehicle production in Canada and accept the pattern agreement,” he said in an email.
“Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Unifor is pushing the federal government to oppose any new trade agreement that would sooner or later kill the auto industry in Canada.”
He said the contract talks are about more than just Stellantis.
“The union is fighting to save the auto industry in Canada. Securing the pattern agreement won’t mean much if the federal government sacrifices the auto industry in trade war with Trump,” Savage said.
On Sunday, Unifor said its members at General Motors voted overwhelmingly in favour of ratifying new contracts with that automaker, with those in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock voting 80.5 per cent in favour, while members in Ingersoll were 96.5 per cent in support.
The three-year collective agreements increase wages for full-rate production members to $50.20 per hour and skilled trades workers to $62.71 an hour.
The union said its agreements with GM mirror the three per cent annual wage increases reached with Ford, which Unifor selected to kick off its pattern bargaining with the industry.
