Stellantis union wary of possible China deal for shuttered Canada plant

By Divya Rajagopal

TORONTO, April 2 (Reuters) - Unifor, the labor union representing car manufacturer Stellantis in Canada, said on Thursday it has serious concerns about the possibility of Stellantis bringing in a Chinese partner to make electric vehicles at its shuttered plant in Brampton, Ontario.

Unifor, confirming that production with China's Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co was among the options Stellantis is exploring for the plant, said Chinese auto manufacturers' record shows they do not support supply chain jobs outside of China.

Here are some details:

• Unifor said the assembly of knock-down kits at Brampton by Stellantis' Chinese partner would not constitute manufacturing and would employ only a small fraction of workers, while displacing tens of thousands of direct assembly and auto parts jobs.

• "Unifor fully expects Stellantis to live up to the commitment that was made for product and supported jobs at Brampton Assembly Plant," Unifor National President Lana Payne said.

• Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that Stellantis was in early discussions with its Chinese partner Zhejiang Leapmotor about options for building electric vehicles at the Brampton plant.

• A spokesperson for Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly said the federal government is in active talks with Stellantis to secure production and jobs at the Brampton plant, along with the provincial government of Ontario and the labor union, but said details on the process remain confidential.

• Stellantis has said it was actively evaluating future programs for Brampton, while Zhejiang Leapmotor did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.