GM to eliminate one Oshawa shift, affecting 750 jobs amid U.S. production boost.
Fort Wayne adds 250 temporary roles, with job security cited by union leadership.
Tariffs cited as factor in shift, raising concerns over cross-border competitiveness.
General Motors is shifting production between its North American plants, with job cuts planned for Oshawa, Ontario, as it expands operations in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The company has added 250 temporary workers to its Fort Wayne facility to meet growing demand for Chevrolet Silverado pickups, while it prepares to eliminate one of three shifts at the Oshawa Assembly Plant in January 2026. The Oshawa changes are expected to affect approximately 750 workers and could impact hundreds more in the regional supply chain.
The production shift follows the imposition of U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles and parts, a new reality that industry leaders say has tilted the competitive landscape. GM’s Oshawa and Fort Wayne facilities, along with a plant in Silao, Mexico, all produce light-duty Silverados. Fort Wayne also builds GMC Sierra pickups, while Oshawa produces both light- and heavy-duty Silverados.
Union officials on both sides of the border acknowledge the economic realities behind the shift, though tensions remain. Rich LeTourneau, bargaining chairman for United Auto Workers Local 2209 in Fort Wayne, said the decision to increase volume in Indiana was not driven by local unions but is seen as a path to job stability.
GM Extends Third Shift at Oshawa Plant, Delaying Hundreds of Layoffs
“When the company comes to me to increase volume, I’m not gonna tell them no, either,” he said.
Unifor Local 222 President Jeff Gray, representing Oshawa workers, described the situation as competitive rather than adversarial. “We compete for business. The playing field right now is not very level, and that concerns us,” he said. He linked the shift to U.S. tariff policy, which he believes has strained Canada-U.S. labour solidarity.
The Oshawa plant, once the core of GM’s Canadian operations, has experienced major workforce reductions over the years. In 2018, GM announced a full closure of the site as part of a global restructuring plan. The facility shut down in 2019 but reopened in 2021 following a $1.2 billion retooling investment focused on pickup truck production.
While GM declined to specify how much output would increase in Fort Wayne, LeTourneau acknowledged the company’s reluctance to publicly compare plant volumes.
Oshawa’s economic identity remains tied to its automotive history, though manufacturing accounted for just 3% of the city’s employment in 2024. In Fort Wayne, GM is the third-largest employer. Workforce availability remains a challenge in the U.S., however. LeTourneau noted that absentee rates at the Fort Wayne plant have reached as high as 22%, citing shifting work expectations among newer employees.
“You can bring all the manufacturing jobs you want back in the U.S., but [if] there’s nobody here to do the jobs, we got a problem,” he said.
GM Oshawa Plant | Photo: GMSource: CBC
