GM to re-open Oshawa plant as part of new deal with Unifor

Unifor and General Motors reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract at 3 a.m. Thursday morning which will see the re-opening of the Oshawa complex as full production plant and create up to 2,000 to 2,500 jobs if a third shift is added by the summer of 2022.

General Motors will spend $1.3 billion to revive the Oshawa plant, which was closed at the end of 2019, to produce Silverado and Sierra trucks.

In addition, GM will invest $109 million in its St. Catharines plant to expand production of transmissions and engines.

The plant will supply engines to Oshawa, more transmissions for the Equinox produced at its CAMI plant outside London and engines for the new Corvette.

“When you add this to the Ford and FCA announcements, we have negotiated $4.8-billion in investments from the Detroit three in the past month and a half,” Unifor national president Jerry Dias said.

“This is a win for the economy of Ontario and a home run for Canada.”