There are moments in a city’s history when its resilience is tested — when decisions made in distant boardrooms send shockwaves through our streets, homes, and hearts. Stellantis’ announcement to end production of the Jeep Compass at Brampton’s Assembly Plant is one such moment, threatening the livelihoods of 3,000 workers and shaking our community.
For decades, Brampton’s workers have done more than build cars; they’ve built confidence in Canada’s ability to compete, innovate, and lead on the global stage. Their craftsmanship has fueled national pride and showcased the skill, loyalty, and perseverance that define our country. The decision to shift production away from Brampton feels like a betrayal of that legacy.
The current global uncertainty, exacerbated by the Trump administration’s tariff war, reminds us that prosperity is not guaranteed — it must be earned, defended, and renewed by those who refuse to abandon the promise of industry and the dignity of skilled work. We must not surrender to despair or accept that our fate is dictated by decisions made beyond our borders.
The story of Canadian manufacturing has long been one of partnership — between workers and companies, cities and provinces, and Canada and its global allies. But that partnership is fraying. Stellantis and other automakers are diverting investments to U.S. operations, lured by trade imbalances, new tariff structures, and incentive programs that tilt the playing field south.
What’s happening in Brampton isn’t isolated — it’s being replicated across Ontario’s auto heartland, with devastating speed. Just look at the recent blows: In Ingersoll, GM’s CAMI Assembly plant has halted production of electric vehicles like the BrightDrop, laying off hundreds of workers since April and idling operations amid tariff pressures.
“Our members have endured so much — from retooling disruptions to months of rotating layoffs — and now they’re facing a major production slowdown and job loss,” said Unifor Local 88 CAMI plant chairperson Mike Van Boekel.
In Oshawa, GM is slashing shifts at its truck assembly plant, with 700-2,000 layoffs hitting workers and suppliers starting this fall, as production shifts southward to dodge the 25 per cent tariffs on non-USMCA-compliant imports; Unifor Local 222 president Jeff Gray has warned that “thousands could be affected,” including ripple effects at suppliers like TFT Global.
And in Windsor, Stellantis idled its Assembly Plant for two weeks in April, putting 4,500 workers on temporary layoff and threatening up to 12,000 jobs in the auto parts supply chain as tariffs disrupt integrated North American production. “There is a real sense of betrayal among local Stellantis workers and the community,” said Unifor Local 444 president James Stewart.
These aren’t anomalies; they’re a pattern of exodus, with entire supply chains unraveling and communities left reeling. The ripple effects threaten not only jobs but the economic stability of entire regions, from Brampton to Windsor to the smallest towns in between.
This betrayal is all the more egregious given the billions in support Stellantis has received from Canadian taxpayers over the years. In 2009, during the depths of the global financial crisis, the Canadian government provided a critical bailout to Chrysler — now part of Stellantis — totalling approximately $2.9 billion to prevent bankruptcy and safeguard jobs. This lifeline was extended not as a gift, but as an investment in our shared future, one that Stellantis has yet to fully repay in spirit or obligation.
More recently, in 2022 and 2023, federal and provincial governments committed over $15 billion in subsidies and incentives to Stellantis for retooling Ontario plants and building electric vehicle battery facilities, including a $105 million grant specifically for Brampton and Windsor operations. These funds were meant to secure long-term production and innovation in Canada, not to subsidize a pivot to the U.S. amid tariff pressures.
Stellantis owes Canadian taxpayers — not just in financial terms, but in loyalty to the communities that propped it up during its darkest hours. Shifting jobs south now feels like a double-cross, and it’s time for accountability: these investments must be clawed back or redirected if commitments aren’t honored.
In this vein, I fully support Industry Minister Mélanie Joly’s efforts to hold Stellantis accountable through legal action. Her recent letter to Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa, declaring the company’s plans a breach of legally binding agreements tied to government funding, is a necessary stand for Canadian workers and taxpayers. By threatening to sue and potentially blocking the U.S. shift, Minister Joly is defending the integrity of public investments and ensuring that corporations can’t take our money and run. Brampton stands with her in this fight — it’s not about one plant; it’s about preserving trust in the partnerships that built our auto sector.
Let me be clear: we don’t want tariffs. I agree with Ronald Reagan, who in a 1987 radio address to the nation as the U.S. president warned that tariffs are, in essence, taxes that hurt economies in the long run by stifling trade and raising costs for consumers. Free and fair trade has long been a cornerstone of Canada’s prosperity, fostering growth and innovation across borders.
But as long as the Trump administration imposes punitive tariffs on Canada, threatening our workers and industries, we must push back with equal resolve. This isn’t about escalating a trade war; it’s about defending our economic sovereignty and ensuring that Canadian jobs aren’t sacrificed to appease foreign protectionism. We need a strategy that counters these tariffs with targeted measures to protect our industries while keeping our markets open and competitive.
This is not a call to mirror the protectionist policies we see south of the border — economists agree such measures often backfire in the long run. Instead, we need a bold, coordinated national strategy that unites provinces, cities, and workers to protect and grow our economy — now, before it’s too late. If we don’t act decisively to shield our auto sector from these tariff tsunamis, it won’t just falter; it will flee Canada entirely, leaving behind ghost plants and forgotten workers.
Unifor National President Lana Payne has warned that “the threat of tariffs and the repeal of electric vehicle initiatives are creating chaos and uncertainty in the North American auto industry,” and Stellantis master bargaining chairperson James Stewart has declared, “If we lose this fight, it’s not just that we’ve lost the Brampton Assembly Plant, but we’ve also lost the ability to bargain job security in the future if the company is going to ignore signed documents.”
In times of challenge, Brampton and Canada has always risen with resilience. We must not let decisions made thousands of miles away define our future. Alongside Unifor, our workers, and our partners at every level of government, Brampton will fight for renewed investment and a clear plan to secure the automotive industry in our community. As I’ve said before, Brampton is a city of grit and heart — we will stand shoulder to shoulder with our workers, speak out for their futures, and build a path forward for the next generation to thrive.
Patrick Brown has served as mayor of Brampton since 2018. He’s a former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (2015-18) and a former Conservative MP for Barrie (2006-15).
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