The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that on Oct. 14 Stellantis said it was relocating Jeep Compass electric SUV production from Brampton to Illinois. The Globe's Vanmala Subramaniam writes that many Canadian auto workers now fear jobs may be lost for good, as initial promises of revitalization through the electric vehicle transition have dwindled. This uncertainty intensified with the trade war launched earlier this year by U.S. President Donald Trump, who aimed tariffs at Canadian-made vehicles to boost U.S. assembly lines. Last week, General Motors ended production of the Chevrolet BrightDrop electric parcel van in Ingersoll, Ont., at the expense of 1,150 jobs. Many workers are planning for a postauto future. For many Canadian auto workers, Mr. Trump's tariffs intensify a long-standing decline in the domestic industry. Workers face constant uncertainty about layoffs, discontinued vehicle models and factory closures for retooling. Auto and auto parts workers, thanks to unionization, have typically earned higher wages and better benefits than other manufacturing workers. Unifor's 2023 contracts with Stellantis, GM and Ford included significant hourly wage increases for many auto workers.
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