In front of Members of Parliament on Wednesday, a top Stellantis official faced tough questions regarding whether previous lucrative government subsidy agreements ensured the protection of Canadian auto jobs, as repeatedly claimed by government representatives. Jeff Hines, former president of Stellantis Canada, emphasized the company’s dedication to the Canadian automotive industry during his testimony but refrained from directly confirming the presence of job safeguard clauses in past agreements.
While highlighting the commitment to employees in Brampton and across Canada, Hines acknowledged that certain details of contracts are confidential. However, he assured that sustaining the Canadian workforce remains a priority for Stellantis. This scrutiny follows recent backlash over the decision to relocate production of the Jeep Compass from Brampton, Ontario, to the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois, leaving Brampton workers uncertain about their future.
Having assumed the position of Head of North America Fleet Solutions at Stellantis last week, Hines previously served as the company’s president for Canada. With approximately 9,000 employees in Canada, Stellantis aims to add 1,500 more staff in Windsor, Ontario, known as the automotive capital. Hines revealed that the company has invested $8.6 billion in Canada since 2022 and intends to further expand its operations in the country, albeit citing economic and trade uncertainties as potential challenges.
Addressing the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, Hines participated in an emergency study focusing on the automotive sector and the financial agreements between the federal government and Stellantis, prompted by developments concerning the Brampton plant. While confirming ongoing plans for the Brampton facility, which employed around 3,000 workers before temporarily closing for retooling, Hines mentioned that various options are being considered for the site, pending economic conditions.
Acknowledging factors such as U.S. tariffs influencing the decision to relocate production, Hines assured that Stellantis is exploring solutions to support laid-off workers in Brampton with sustainable opportunities. Despite government statements asserting Stellantis’ commitment to maintaining its Canadian presence, including the Brampton and Windsor plants, CBC News analysis found no explicit job protection guarantees in the disclosed sections of related documents.
In response to inquiries from Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore Conservative MP Kathy Borrelli about Stellantis’ activities in Windsor, Hines affirmed the company’s commitment to maintaining its Windsor operations, expressing optimism about future growth, including plans to introduce a third shift. He also highlighted the progress at the NextStar EV Battery Plant in Windsor, which has already employed 1,000 workers and is expected to create a total of 2,500 jobs.
The committee was scheduled to hear from Flavio Volpe, President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, and representatives from Unifor on Wednesday, representing workers at Stellantis and other major automakers in Canada.