Workers at Canadian Stellantis plants have begun voting on whether to give their union the mandate to strike if they feel it is necessary. Talks between Stellantis and Unifor have been stalled over the future of the company’s manufacturing footprint in Canada, specifically at the idled Brampton Assembly Plant. In Windsor, thousands of Unifor Local 444 members packed the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Saturday morning to vote. Jonathan Klein, a worker at the Windsor Assembly Plant since 2014, told CTV News the event saw a “packed turnout.” “From what I remember, there’s been high turnout before, but I think this is probably the highest I’ve seen,” Klein said after the vote. The two-day vote will continue in other markets on Sunday. The union has been adamant that it’s still hopeful it can reach a deal and that a strike won’t be necessary. Awaiting the results, Klein said he’s admittedly “a little bit nervous” about what will happen. “[Workers] want to see the auto sector stay. It’d be a huge blow if we lost that, right? So, definitely going to put in a fight for it,” Klein added. When Unifor announced plans for a strike authorization vote earlier this month, James Stewart, president of Local 444, noted they couldn’t allow Stellantis to walk away from its commitments. Stellantis has confirmed intentions to sell the Brampton Assembly Plant to Canadian armoured vehicle maker Roshel. Operations at the plant have been halted since 2023, and the company has moved production of the Jeep Compass to the U.S. Allowing the company to break its word, Stewart said at the time, would jeopardize commitments to other workers, including those on the third shift at WAP. Andrew Alford and his brother Cameron are part of the midnight shift, who have been on the job for nearly one year. “It affects everyone’s livelihood. It’s do or die,” Andrew said outside the Colosseum. The union represents more than 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada, including 6,400 at the Windsor Assembly Plant. Unifor is expected to announce the results of the vote on Monday.
