The federal government has given General Motors 15 days to provide an update on what the future holds for its Ingersoll, Ont., plant and workers.
The automaker announced Tuesday that it was ending production of its BrightDrop electric delivery van, putting the future of more than 1,000 workers in doubt. The company said the move was demand-related and had nothing to do with tariffs, but others say the trade war is having an effect on the company’s decisions.
The company had already temporarily cut production in April before fully idling the plant in May, leaving more than 1,200 unionized workers temporarily laid off. The plant was supposed to restart operations in November with a single shift that would have meant around half that number heading back to work.
“This afternoon, I met with General Motors, the government of Ontario, and Unifor to discuss next steps for Ingersoll workers,” Federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said in a social media post Thursday afternoon.
“I conveyed to GM that I expect a full update within 15 days. Canadian workers deserve clarity and action, not uncertainty.”
Kristian Aquilina, president of GM Canada, said earlier in the week there were no firm plans in place for the plant and that they were assessing “future opportunities.”
“We’re very energized now as a result of this news to find other solutions, but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We’re looking at various opportunities.”
GM’s decision came just a week after Stellantis announced it would be moving production of its Jeep Compass vehicle from its Brampton plant to Illinois as part of a four-year, $13 billion investment aimed at expanding manufacturing capacity in the United States. That move will affect some 3,000 workers.
Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report
