OSHAWA – GM Canada says it plans to cut shifts at its Oshawa Assembly Plant due to updated demand forecasts and the evolving trade environment.
The company says in a statement it will move from a three-shift to two-shift operation to “help support a sustainable manufacturing footprint as GM reorients the Oshawa plant to build more trucks in Canada for Canadian customers.”
Unifor calls the move a “reckless decision that deals a direct blow to our members and threatens to ripple through the entire auto parts supplier network.”
The union urged GM to reverse its decision, which comes on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian-built vehicles in March.
The sector did get relief earlier this week when U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidance released Thursday said automobile parts compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade will not be hit with Trump’s tariffs.
Last month, GM Canada said it was also temporarily halting production and cutting staff at its CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ont., because of lower-than-expected demand for its electric delivery vehicles.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2025.
