Joly convenes meeting after Stellantis sells Brampton plant to Roshel
The meeting follows the automaker's sale of its idled Brampton assembly plant to an armoured vehicle manufacturer.
TORONTO · Industry Minister Mélanie Joly is convening a four-way meeting in Toronto on Thursday with automaker Stellantis, the Unifor union and Ontario government representatives. The gathering follows Stellantis's announcement this week that it sold its idled Brampton assembly plant to Canadian armoured vehicle manufacturer Roshel for an undisclosed amount. More than 2,000 workers have been laid off from the plant since production stopped in 2023. The sale has drawn sharp criticism from Unifor, which represents over 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada.
Unifor national president Lana Payne has called the sale a “worst-case scenario.” She said Stellantis “betrayed our members with an underhanded deal to sell the plant and walk away from its commitments to these workers.” Collective bargaining negotiations between the union and the automaker broke down in September after Stellantis signed a memorandum of understanding with Roshel targeting a sale of the facility. The breakdown in talks occurred just months before the plant's sale was finalized.
Joly’s office denied reports late Wednesday that the minister was involved in negotiations that led to the deal. The ministry said in a statement that Joly never met with Roshel. The federal government is now seeking talks with all parties involved in the wake of the sale. The discussions are taking place days after the sale was announced publicly.
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The Brampton plant had been a major manufacturing site for Stellantis before it was idled. The company's decision to sell the facility to Roshel, which specializes in armoured vehicles, marks a significant shift for the property. The terms of the sale and any plans Roshel has for the site have not been disclosed. The plant's closure and subsequent sale have left more than 2,000 workers without jobs.
The meeting led by Minister Joly represents an effort to address the fallout from the plant closure and sale. The Ontario government, as a participant, is also involved in discussions about the future of the site and the workers affected. The layoffs at the plant have had a substantial impact on the local economy and workforce in the Brampton area. The plant was idled in 2023, leading to the layoffs. No further details about the agenda or expected outcomes of Thursday's meeting have been released by the minister's office. The discussions come amid ongoing tensions between Stellantis and Unifor over the company's commitments to its Canadian workforce. The union has strongly condemned the sale process and the automaker's actions.
With files from The Canadian Press, CityNews and iPolitics