Stellantis wants to sell its idled Brampton Assembly Plant to Roshel, a Canadian armoured-vehicle maker, and the plant’s future is now at the centre of contract talks with Unifor. The union will hold strike authorization votes on October 17 and 18, with results due October 19.
Stellantis Brampton news at a glance
- The plant: Brampton Assembly, idle since December 2023
- Laid-off workers: about 2,200 Unifor members, according to the union’s numbers reported by WardsAuto and Carscoops
- Proposed buyer: Roshel, under a memorandum of understanding (a preliminary agreement, not a completed sale)
- Contract: the Unifor-Stellantis agreement expired September 20, 2026
- Strike votes: October 17 and 18, results October 19
What happened to the Brampton plant
Brampton Assembly built the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger. The last Chrysler 300C came off the line on December 8, 2023, and the plant has not built a vehicle since, according to WardsAuto.
Stellantis laid off more than 2,000 workers in 2023 so it could retool the plant for a new Jeep. That work was paused in early 2025 amid U.S. tariffs. Later in 2025, Stellantis said it would build the Jeep Compass in the United States instead, CP24 reported.
Who is Roshel and what is the deal?
Roshel is a Canadian maker of armoured and defence vehicles. Stellantis told WardsAuto on September 11, 2026 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Roshel for a possible sale of the site. No price or timeline has been made public.
Roshel’s CEO told CBC News the company wants to create a defence manufacturing centre in Brampton, and said laid-off Unifor workers would get first consideration for jobs, WardsAuto reported. WardsAuto also reported that Roshel might employ about 500 people at the site. That is far fewer than the roughly 2,200 workers on layoff.
Stellantis Canada president and CEO Trevor Longley wrote to employees that trade conditions had hurt the plant’s original business case and that a sale could support future work at the site, according to CP24.
Why Unifor is holding a strike vote
Unifor’s contract with Stellantis covers Brampton Assembly, Windsor Assembly and the Etobicoke Casting Plant. It expired on September 20, 2026, and talks are at an impasse.
The union says Stellantis has made its main economic offer conditional on an agreement to close and sell the Brampton plant. Unifor rejects that link and wants guarantees for the company’s Canadian operations, including Windsor.
Unifor National President Lana Payne said “strike action remains a last resort,” CP24 reported. A yes vote lets the bargaining committee call a strike if needed. It doesn’t mean a strike will happen.
Stellantis told WardsAuto on October 7 that it “remains committed to bargaining in good faith.”
Key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| September 20, 2026 | Unifor-Stellantis contract expired |
| October 17 and 18, 2026 | Unifor strike authorization votes |
| October 19, 2026 | Vote results announced |
What this means for Brampton
Brampton Assembly sits on a 237-acre site, WardsAuto reported, and its roughly 2,200 laid-off workers make up close to a quarter of Unifor’s Stellantis members in Canada. A sale to Roshel could bring some manufacturing jobs back, but at the numbers reported so far, not as many as the car plant had. If you are looking for work closer to home, our guide explains how to apply for City of Brampton jobs.
Ottawa has also said it will seek repayment of $222 million in retooling funds if vehicle production is abandoned, according to WardsAuto.
If local jobs matter to your vote on October 26, you can compare the people running in our lists of mayor candidates and councillor candidates by ward.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Stellantis Brampton plant closing?
Stellantis wants to sell the idled plant to Roshel under a preliminary agreement. Unifor opposes the plan, and the sale is not final.
When is the Unifor strike vote at Stellantis?
Unifor will hold strike authorization votes on October 17 and 18, 2026, and announce the results on October 19.
How many Brampton workers are affected?
About 2,200 Unifor members from Brampton Assembly are on layoff, according to figures reported by WardsAuto and Carscoops.
What would Roshel build in Brampton?
Roshel makes armoured and defence vehicles. Its CEO has said the company wants a defence manufacturing centre at the site.
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This is a developing story. We will update it after the Unifor vote results on October 19.