‘I could be homeless’: Laid-off Brampton Stellantis workers talk of grim future as company plans move to U.S.

"For a lot of us in my situation—I've got 28 years in this plant and need 30 to retire—in two years, I could be homeless if there's nothing coming in."

John Muirhead, a longtime Brampton Stellantis employee, says at the age of 60, it's nearly impossible to find a new job. He wants Stellantis to be transparent about the future of 3,200 workers laid off from their jobs at the giant assembly plant, which has seen cars roll off the floor for four decades.

"It would be nice if our corporation would actually be honest and open and tell us straight up what we're looking at."

He was joined by dozens of other workers and supporters Wednesday, October 29, for the launch of a sustained rally organized by Unifor outside the plant at 2000 Williams Parkway.

John Muirhead, a laid-off Stellantis worker with 28 years at the Brampton Assembly plant, spoke with The Pointer at a Unifor rally on October 29.

(Muhammad Hamza/The Pointer)

Beau Bisson, another laid-off worker at the Brampton plant who also took part in the rally, spoke to The Pointer about the impact.

"Financially, I’m living hand to mouth and barely getting by. I’m just trying to hold on, hoping to go back to a job I know and love,” he said.

“The financial impact has been crippling. After many years of living independently, I’m now staying at my mom’s house as a guest, trying to save money and waiting to see what happens. I don’t want to move or start over, since I’ve been with Chrysler since 2011, joining when I was 18—I’ll be 33 in December. My entire adult life has been spent with this company building cars.”

Beau Bisson, a laid-off Brampton Stellantis worker, has been living “hand-to-mouth.”

(Muhammad Hamza/The Pointer)

The Unifor rally launched yesterday is using the slogan, “Protect Canadian Jobs,” to show solidarity with the Brampton plant workers who have been at home since early 2024. Muirhead expressed grief over Stellantis's February 20 decision to pause a retooling plan that was supposed to last for only eight weeks. The delay, and now news two weeks ago that production of the new electric Jeep Compass is moving to the U.S. due to pressure from President Donald Trump, has taken a toll not only financially but mentally, he says.

"The uncertainty is stressful and affects more than just finances; it really impacts your mental health, and unfortunately, not everyone gets the support they need."

Workers and supporters started a continuous rally Wednesday, October 29, outside the Brampton Stellantis Assembly plant at 2000 Williams Parkway.

(Alexis Wright/The Pointer)
 

The protest began on Wednesday at 9 a.m. and will continue every day “until further notice,” with more than 3,000 Unifor members at the Stellantis auto assembly and their supporters gathering outside the facility that was supposed to go through an overhaul to build the new electric vehicles, before the company announced the news that shocked the entire community on October 14. 

The decision by Stellantis to move production of the next-generation electric Jeep Compass, came after the U.S. government imposed stiff tariffs on automobiles and auto parts that are not in compliance with the Canada US Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA). Trump has warned companies that export vehicles into his country that they will face continued barriers unless they move manufacturing operations to the U.S.

Stellantis caved, and now workers in Brampton are unsure about their livelihood.

The decision, which workers found out about through a robocall from company officials, followed years of uncertainty and has left thousands of Brampton families at risk of losing their financial stability. 

On the same day the rally launched, the head of Stellantis Canada was in Ottawa, where he was questioned by frustrated Parliamentarians.

During the grilling at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology meeting on Wednesday, Jeff Hines, Stellantis Canada’s president, sidestepped the question repeatedly put to him by Conservative MP Raquel Dancho: will his company honour the contract signed between the previous Liberal government and Stellantis for more than $500 million in federal subsidies to protect Canadian jobs in Brampton and Windsor.

"What I can tell you is this: we are committed to our employees at Brampton, our employees in Canada," he replied.

"The dynamics of the contract and the contract signed—some of that, obviously, is going to remain confidential, as is the nature of those contracts—but we are committed to maintaining the workforce in Canada."

Dancho persisted: "I don't believe I'm asking you to reveal anything that's commercially sensitive. I'm just asking if you agreed to take up to—well, I can break it down as well—but up to about $16.5 billion from the taxpayer, much of that from agreements with the Liberal government in exchange for, among other things, a Canada-wide jobs guarantee. I don't believe that that's commercially sensitive."

Hines said the Brampton plant is not closed and the company is looking for ways to continue operating in the city in a “commercially viable” way.

While he assured the committee that Stellantis is committed to bringing new plans for Brampton, which will replace the electric Jeep Compass production, he mentioned that tariff uncertainty is creating a significant barrier for the automaker.

"We certainly need some clarity regarding the trade situation that we have today. It's fluid—as you saw from recent announcements over the last week; it's obviously a very fluid situation," Hines said.

"What we need, and what I think the industry needs collectively, is clearly some stability and trade conversation so we can adjust and invest accordingly."

Dancho asked for a clear timeline regarding the Brampton plant’s future plans, even if trade barriers remain in place. 

"I can't speculate on that; it's hypothetical," Hines responded.

"We certainly want to work with both sides of the government to come to a solution that maintains jobs and does the best we can to keep Canadian jobs, maintain Canadian manufacturing, and keep our folks at Brampton working with a long-term, sustainable operation."

Stellantis is a giant global auto conglomerate based in the Netherlands. It acquired Chrysler and its Dodge brand, and also owns Jeep, Fiat and more than a half-dozen other major global car brands.

Dancho highlighted taxpayer-funded grants Stellantis received in the past three years, roughly $1 billion she said, to modernize and retool both the Windsor and Brampton plants, and she repeated her question about Canadian job guarantees. 

"We have created over 1,000 jobs at the NextStar Energy plant (where electric vehicle batteries are to be made) are adding 1,500 more in Windsor, and remain committed to our Brampton employees," Hines said.

MPs have warned Stellantis that no grant money for the Windsor and Brampton electric retooling will flow if Canadian jobs are lost, and any money that has already been given under the signed agreements, will have to be paid back.

Jeff Hines, president of Stellantis Canada, was grilled by MPs in Ottawa Wednesday about preserving Canadian jobs.

(Government of Canada)
 

Brampton workers have said any plans Stellantis has suggested to move workers to Windsor, are unacceptable.

Vito Beato, president of Unifor Local 1285, called the suggestion nothing more than a distraction, saying it will not do anything to protect Brampton jobs.

"The company’s offer to transfer workers to Windsor or talk of major plans for Brampton seems like a smokescreen to justify their decision and claim our members are protected," he told The Pointer.

 Vito Beato, president of Unifor Local 1285, helped kick off the Brampton rally outside the Stellantis plant Wednesday.

(Alexis Wright/The Pointer)

"However, transferring to Windsor is not a real solution; it's a four-hour commute, requires uprooting families, and is simply not a viable answer for those at the Brampton assembly plant."

Muirhead echoed his words, adding that a move to Windsor is not a suitable option for employees like him, who are close to retirement.

“They're offering me the chance to move to Windsor for work, but that would mean uprooting my entire family just for two years until I retire," he said.

"I think others—those starting families or buying houses—would benefit more from the move than I would. They're the ones that are going to keep the economy rolling. At this stage, I just want to retire rather than relocate.”

One protester at Unifor’s “Protect Canadian Jobs” rally outside the Stellantis Brampton Assembly Plant on October 29 holds a sign criticizing U.S. tariffs.

(Alexis Wright/The Pointer) 

While Unifor is pushing Stellantis to reverse its decision to shift electric Jeep Compass production from Brampton to Illinois, Beato told The Pointer that in a recent meeting after the October 14 announcement, the automaker offered no clear timeline for when it will address work at the idled facility to keep it fully operational, leaving 3,200 employees in the dark about their jobs.

"We still have not received a response from the company. Although there has been some dialogue, their position remains unchanged, as does ours. That is where things currently stand."

Beato said that as the days pass, the anxiety among his fellow members is increasing.

"Our members are deeply concerned and anxious. With no product and the retooling at a standstill, there is growing worry that our plant may no longer be able to build cars because of this decision."

While Stellantis is publicly claiming that Canada is important to its future North American plans, Brampton workers say that’s hard to believe.

“I feel the company has not been transparent,” Bisson said. “And it seems like we’ve been lied to.”

Email: [email protected]

At a time when vital public information is needed by everyone, The Pointer has taken down our paywall on all stories to ensure every resident of Brampton, Mississauga and Niagara has access to the facts. For those who are able, we encourage you to consider a subscription. This will help us report on important public interest issues the community needs to know about now more than ever. You can register for a 30-day free trial HERE. Thereafter, The Pointer will charge $10 a month and you can cancel any time right on the website. Thank you