WINDSOR
Stellantis has canceled another week of vehicle production at its Windsor Assembly Plant, extending a shutdown that has now lasted nearly a month.
The automaker has canceled production for the entire week of Nov. 9, according to a notice posted by plant management.
It marks the fourth consecutive week without scheduled vehicle production at the facility, following previous cancellations during the weeks of Oct. 19, Oct. 26 and Nov. 2.
"Stellantis continues to evaluate and adjust its manufacturing operations in response to evolving market conditions, including consumer demand and the impact of tariffs," said LouAnn Gosselin, a spokeswoman for Stellantis.
The plant, which employs about 6,000 unionized workers, builds the Dodge Charger, Chrysler Pacifica and the Canadian-market Chrysler Grand Caravan.
The notice tells production employees not to report to work unless their supervisor specifically contacts them.
Skilled trades employees, however, are still expected to show up for their regular shifts.
The extended downtime comes as Stellantis deals with changing consumer demand and the ongoing tariff situation between the United States and Canada.
The layoffs underline the impact of the trade war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump in 2025.
He imposed 25-per-cent tariffs on non-U.S. content on Canadian-made cars, disregarding the decades-old free trade agreement between the two countries.
He has also applied tariffs on cars and goods from other countries, and has said Canada’s auto-tariff rate will rise to 50 per cent and include auto parts on Jan. 1.
Flavio Volpe, head of Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, called Mr. Trump’s latest threat to tariff auto parts hollow.
"We all know that’s going to shut down the industry, including him," Mr. Volpe said. "That’s why he backed off last year."
Still, the tariffs have caused automotive layoffs in Ontario and reduced car shipments between the two countries.
Since the tariffs were announced in early 2025, General Motors idled its electric van plant in Ingersoll, Ont., laying off more than 1,000 workers, and eliminated one of three shifts at its Oshawa pickup-truck plant.
Stellantis, meanwhile, moved planned production of the Jeep Compass to Illinois from Brampton, a plant that once employed about 3,000 people.
The factory northwest of Toronto remains idle and is at the heart of a dispute involving the company, the Unifor union and the federal government.
Stellantis says it has a preliminary agreement to sell the plant to Roshel, a maker of armoured vehicles, ending 30 years of carmaking at the site.
"Stellantis believes that Roshel represents a strong path to restoring sustainable operations at Brampton Assembly, preserving the site’s strategic role in Canada’s advanced manufacturing sector and helping to avoid a prolonged period of inactivity," Stellantis said.
Unifor walked away from collective bargaining with Stellantis in September over the planned sale, which it opposes.
Lana Payne, Unifor’s national president, on Wednesday called for an "urgent" meeting with Stellantis and officials from the Ontario and federal governments over the plant’s future.
"The economic and job security implications of a closure and sale for Unifor members, and Canada’s auto industry, are severe," Ms. Payne said in an open letter to federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly and Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development.
The federal government has said idling the plant and moving production puts Stellantis in violation of the funding agreement, and it intends to get its money back.
Stellantis said on Thursday talks with Ottawa are ongoing.
Trade talks between Ottawa and Washington have begun, as Canada seeks to reduce the economic damage of the tariffs.
e2gold.ca reported this month that a Democratic Congress is unlikely to curb Trump's trade war against Canada, as analysts say the president's tariff powers are on firm legal ground.
For now, the latest notice only covers the week of Nov. 9.
There is no indication in the announcement whether production will resume the following Monday, Nov. 16.
This story was written by the e2gold.ca newsroom from reporting by The Globe and Mail and MoparInsiders. Quotes are checked word for word against that reporting.