The vote, conducted over the weekend, grants Unifor the leverage to initiate job action once formal requirements under Ontario labor laws are satisfied. While the union remains in negotiations, the dispute hinges on the company's long-term strategy for the Toronto-area facility. Stellantis previously abandoned plans to manufacture the Jeep Compass at the site, citing U.S. trade tariffs and shifting market conditions that led them to relocate production to Illinois.

Stellantis maintains that the sale to Roshel, a defense firm, provides the most viable future for the site, as the company claims no economic justification exists to resume vehicle assembly there. James Stewart, leading the negotiations for Unifor, stated that a fair agreement remains possible if the automaker honors its prior commitments to the workforce. For now, the threat of a work stoppage looms over the company’s Canadian operations as both sides remain locked in a fundamental disagreement over the plant’s industrial future.