by General Motors continues to cut car production, confirming the transition of the Oshawa Assembly plant to a two-shift work schedule. The company explained this by changes in demand and trade conditions.
This is essentially about the consequences of the trade war started by former US President Trump. The plant is being retooled to produce more trucks for the local market to reduce imports from Canada.
Despite the cuts, GM assures that the plant’s future is secure—it will produce a new generation of gasoline-powered pickups. The company emphasized that it has been operating in Canada since 1918 and plans to continue its activities for over 100 more years.
The Unifor union sharply condemned this decision. Its leader, Lana Payne, stated that she would not allow Canadian jobs to be exchanged for trade concessions. She called the cancellation of the third shift an irresponsible step that harms workers and suppliers.
Payne accused Trump of intending to destroy Canadian manufacturing and stated that GM cannot ignore its obligations. She warned that the company has six months to rectify the situation; otherwise, the cuts will lead to consequences.
Although the exact number of layoffs was not specified, sources report about 700 people. They will lose their jobs this fall, but the company has promised support during the transition.
This happened shortly after the temporary shutdown of the CAMI Assembly plant in Ontario, which produces the unpopular BrightDrop vans. After a brief resumption in May, production will be suspended again for modernization.
After the restart, the plant will operate on only one shift. Unifor reported that this will lead to the indefinite layoff of nearly 500 employees.
