Stellantis Hits Milestone of 1,000 Hires for Windsor, Ontario Plant — Update

By Elias Schisgall and Paul Vieira

Stellantis has hired more than 1,000 employees in the span of roughly two months as it works to meet a goal of 1,500 new jobs at its assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario.

The automaker said Monday it hopes to add 1,500 jobs for a third shift at the Windsor Assembly Plant to launch early next year as it looks to meet anticipated demand for Dodge Chargers and Chrysler minivans.

The announcement on employment levels in Canada emerge as the automaker and Canadian government are in talks on a settlement over Stellantis's decision to shift production of its Jeep Compass model from its factory in Brampton, Ontario to Illinois. Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly has accused Stellantis of violating the terms of a funding agreement in 2022, in which the government provided financing to the company in exchange for, among other things, keeping the Brampton plant operating.

Earlier this month, Joly issued a default notice to Stellantis -- giving the company 30 days to respond. Canada could sue Stellantis for breach of contract should Joly find the company's response unsatisfactory, officials say.

A spokeswoman for Joly was not immediately available for comment about Stellantis's hiring announcement. A Stellantis spokeswoman said Monday the company is focused on talks with Canadian officials who support the domestic auto industry, including in Brampton.

As part of Monday's announcement, Stellantis said almost 240 employees from the Brampton factory accepted transfer offers to join the Windsor plant.

Employees from the Brampton plant who didn't accept transfer offers would continue to receive health benefits and 70% of their salary, Stellantis said Monday.

The increase to Stellantis's Canadian payroll is the latest sign of stabilization in the country's labor market followed weakness fueled by President Trump's hefty tariffs on key manufacturing sectors, such as automobiles. Employment in Canada has increased over the last three months, official data suggest.

Stellantis said it had invested 7.9 billion Canadian dollars (US$5.74 billion) in Canada since 2022, and Chief Executive Officer Trevor Longley said the hiring at the Windsor plant "reinforces Canada's critical role in Stellantis' global operations."

"With major investments and a growing workforce, we remain confident in Canada's talent, innovation and manufacturing strength," Longley said.

Write to Elias Schisgall at elias.schisgall@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 15, 2025 16:07 ET (21:07 GMT)