Automaker Stellantis plans to reopen an assembly plant in Illinois and build the next generation Dodge Durango in Detroit, the automaker said Wednesday.
In an email to employees North America Chief Operating Officer Antonio Filosa confirmed that the plant in Belvidere, about 70 miles northwest of Chicago, will produce a new midsize pickup truck. The move will put about 1,500 UAW-represented employees back to work.
Stellantis will also move forward with plans to build the Durango mid-sized SUV at its Detroit Assembly Complex. In addition to Dodge and Chrysler vehicles Stellantis also owns brands including Ram and Jeep.
Other plans include investing more in its Toledo, Ohio plant and making additional investments at its Kokomo, Indiana facilities to produce the GME-T4 EVO engine, keeping its manufacturing in the U.S.
In a letter to union members, UAW President Shawn Fain and Kevin Gotinsky, director at the UAW Stellantis Department, said the Belvidere plant would reopen in 2027.
In September the UAW filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board accusing Stellantis of illegally refusing to release information about plans to move Durango production from Detroit to Canada.
It also filed grievances over the Durango and delays in reopening the Belvidere plant, as well as efforts to build a parts distribution center and electric vehicle battery plant there. The UAW had threatened to strike on that issue.
The UAW previously said that Stellantis had committed to the Belvidere additions as well as Durango production in the union’s new contract, reached in 2023 after a six-week strike.
Stellantis has denied that it was in violation of the contract and said in September that like all automakers, it was managing how and when it brings new vehicles to market in order to be competitive.
“This victory is a testament to the power of workers standing together and holding a billion-dollar corporation accountable,” the UAW letter said.
Fain and Gotinsky said that they’ve seen noticeable changes since they began working with Filosa and his team. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares stepped down from his post last month.
“This is a leadership that is ready to recommit to investing in our membership, our communities, and in this company,” they said.
Filosa’s email also said that Chairman John Elkann met with President Donald Trump to discuss the U.S. auto industry, jobs and the broader economy.
“John told the President that building on our proud, more than 100-year history in the U.S., we plan to continue that legacy by further strengthening our U.S. manufacturing footprint and providing stability for our great American workforce,” the email said.
Fain and Gotinsky said that union members must remain vigilant and stay organized.
“Throughout this process we’ve all learned an important lesson: It takes a fight to keep jobs here in this country. We’ve shown the company, and the nation that we are ready for that fight,” they said.
