GM Canada cuts 1,000 workers from Oshawa plant

May 4, 2015 – About 1,000 workers will be laid off from GM Canada’s Oshawa Assembly Plant in Ontario this year. The cuts will be made by December 2015, when GM Canada’s main assembly operation is expected to have 2,600 hourly employees — down from the current 3,600.

The downsizing is being timed to the end of production of the Chevrolet Camaro sports car, now officially scheduled for Nov. 20. The company says it remains committed to Canada, and will continue to produce five other vehicles in Oshawa.

Oshawa Assembly today manufactures six vehicles: the Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Camaro, Buick Regal and Cadillac XTS on its Flex Line (currently on three shifts) as well as the Chevrolet Equinox and the Chevrolet Impala Ltd. on the Consolidated Line (currently on one shift). After Nov. 20, Oshawa Assembly will continue to produce five vehicles, and will move to three shifts of production between its Flex and Consolidated Lines.

The automaker announced last week it plans to spend US$5.4 billion to improve its U.S. factories during the next three years, creating about 650 new jobs. In December, the company said it planned to invest US$5 billion to modernize and expand its four factories in Mexico.

— With files from Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press