Unifor reports productive talks with GM on Oshawa jobs, suspends public campaign

March 19, 2019 – Unifor says it has suspended a public campaign against General Motors as a result of positive talks with the automaker on preserving jobs in Oshawa, Ont.

The union says that while the company has been clear it won’t extend vehicle manufacturing at the Oshawa plant beyond the end of the year, there is potential to transform operations to maintain some employment.

Unifor president Jerry Dias, who met Tuesday with senior GM officials, says in a statement that he is much more confident than a month ago that the two sides will find a resolution.

GM announced last November that it would end production at the Oshawa plant by the end of 2019, set to affect about 2,600 union workers at the assembly plant.

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Unifor says productive talks with the company have been ongoing since Feb. 25 and that both sides have agreed to continue talks over the next few weeks.

GM has noted that many workers at the plant qualify for retirement, and it has committed to helping workers with job placements and retraining.

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