Stellantis, the company that owns Chrysler and Jeep, said Wednesday it plans to reopen a plant in Illinois and increase production elsewhere in the United States, a move that is likely to resolve several disputes with the United Automobile Workers union. .
The reopening is also likely to help the company in its dealings with the Trump administration and is among the first major changes made by an interim management team running the company since its chief executive, Carlos Tavares, stepped down in December.
“These actions are part of our commitment to invest in our U.S. operations to grow our automotive production and manufacturing here,” Antonio Filosa, the company’s North American chief executive, said in a statement.
The announcement follows a recent meeting between Stellar President John Elkann and President Trump, the company said. Mr. Elkann told the president that Stellantis, headquartered in Amsterdam, aims to strengthen the American manufacturing base and is committed to safeguarding American jobs and the broader American economy.
Stellantis, which also owns Fiat, Dodge, Ram and Peugeot, idled the Belvidere, Illinois plant in early 2023. Later that year, it agreed to a new contract with the UAW to reopen it. In August 2024, the company said it was delaying the reopening after falling sales and profits.
The UAW responded by filing complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Stellantis was in breach of the 2023 contract.
Stellantis said Wednesday that he plans to build a midsize truck in Belvedere and will rehire about 1,500 union workers.
The company also said it will move forward with plans to produce a new Dodge Durango sport utility vehicle at a plant in Detroit. The UAW feared that Stellantis was preparing to move production of the vehicle to Mexico, and the union had filed grievances on that issue as well.
“This victory is a testament to the power of workers standing together and holding a billion-dollar company accountable,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement Wednesday. “We’ve shown we’ll do whatever it takes to protect the good union jobs that are the lifeblood of places like Belvidere, Detroit, Kokomo and beyond.”
The White House press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In its statement, Stellantis also said it would invest in its factories in Toledo, Ohio, where it builds the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator models. Additional investment will also be made in an engine plant in Kokomo, India, the company said.
