GM's Oshawa factory in Canada may be closed to union resistance

[Abby Yuan]

GM is expected to close its assembly plant in Oshawa, Canada, on November 26, local time, according to the Global Post.

Uniford, a local trade union, said on November 25 that no products would be distributed to Osawa assembly plant for production by December 2019. Unifor stands for about 2,500 workers. Unifor said in a statement: "The Union has received a general notification today that the company will announce important things tomorrow and will have an impact on global production.

In contract negotiations with Uniford in 2016, GM promised to invest $400 million to upgrade Osawa's flexible production line. Unifor will hold a dialogue with GM on November 26, local time. More information will be provided after the meeting.

The Oshawa plant is located in the northeast of Toronto and currently has two production lines. Flexible production lines produce Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Impala with lower sales, while truck production lines produce light and heavy Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups.

The reorganization project of Oshawa plant started in 2018, and this summer increased the production of heavy pickup trucks and the second round of production shifts. GM spokesman Kim Carpenter said the project will run until the end of 2019 based on market demand. She said the project had been a great success, with production expected to exceed expectations, with an annual output of about 60,000 vehicles.

General Oshawa plant began production on November 7, 1953. Before 1953, the plant produced McLaughlin Buick models. Before Chevrolet merged with General Motors in 1918, the plant became one of the six major plants for Chevrolet models.