Hundreds of autoworkers will walk into the General Motors Oshawa Assembly Complex on Thursday night knowing it will be their last time on the third shift, as the company cuts more than 700 direct jobs and triggers hundreds more layoffs across the supply chain.
The final third shift at GM’s Oshawa plant is set to begin Thursday at 10:30 p.m. and run until 6:30 a.m. Friday, a Unifor spokesperson confirmed to CityNews that while many workers leaving the line Friday morning will face layoffs, not everyone on that shift will lose their job.
Per the union, some higher‑seniority GM employees will be able to “bump” into remaining shifts under union rules, though the majority of affected workers will not have that option.
The cuts come the same week GM reported over $12 billion in pre‑tax earnings for 2025, along with plans to boost shareholder returns through dividend increases and a $6‑billion share buyback, a contrast that has inflamed tensions among workers.
GM said it was cutting the plant’s midnight shift back in May.
“GM and Unifor have worked closely to support employees through this transition with comprehensive separation packages, retirement support and other benefits. We recognize and thank employees impacted for their contributions to the company,” GM wrote in a statement issued on Thursday.
Unifor National President Lana Payne accused GM of bowing to political pressure in the United States rather than defending its Canadian workforce.
“General Motors has made a clear decision to cave to Donald Trump rather than stand up for its loyal Canadian workforce, making the workers in Oshawa pay for that appeasement with their jobs,” Payne said.
Premier speaks out ahead of looming job cuts at GM Oshawa plant
GM says under its company/Unifor collective agreement, all hourly seniority employees impacted by the production adjustment in Oshawa “are eligible to receive GM-paid Supplemental Unemployment Benefits (SUB) that, when combined with Employment Insurance (EI), equals 70 per cent of their regular weekly earnings and they will continue to have access to health care coverage.”
Layne, meanwhile, warned that GM risks losing the trust of Canadian consumers by shrinking its production footprint while remaining one of the country’s top vehicle sellers.
“It is misguided for General Motors to think it can get away with consistently diminishing their production footprint in Canada and still be the number one seller of vehicles in the Canadian marketplace.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford weighed in on the looming job cuts from Ottawa on Thursday.
“We have a plan. We are going to make sure [the workers] have opportunities,” he said. “We’ll be there for them 24/7. It’s very disappointing, but this goes back to our point that we have to move quicker and faster and make sure that the federal government comes and supports, not only these workers, but the overall auto sector.
“We have to be more competitive. We have to get rid of the EV mandate to make ourselves more competitive. That’s my message to the prime minister,” Ford added.
The General Motors logo is displayed at the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant in Hamtramck, Mich., Jan. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File).
Workers warn decision deepens uncertainty across auto sector already rattled by tariffs
A meeting was held at Unifor Local 222 union hall on Wednesday, where representatives underscored that the cuts come despite GM’s strong financial performance.
The looming layoffs land at a moment when autoworkers are already feeling the strain of a deepening trade war. Tariffs have driven up costs throughout the sector, and many employees say they are bearing the brunt of the uncertainty.
“I believe that we will continue to have conversations with GM, the federal and provincial governments, Unifor, and General Motors, to be able to find another opportunity for the plant,” Oshawa mayor Dan Carter told CityNews. “We’re not gonna give up, so people need to know that we refuse to say that this is a final decision. We’ll continue to work with all parties to be able to make sure we bring more product back into the plant.”
The Oshawa plant builds light‑ and heavy‑duty Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks. After the U.S. imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian‑built vehicles, GM increased Silverado production in Fort Wayne, Indiana, before announcing the elimination of Oshawa’s third shift.
Unifor says it presented GM with a plan to maintain the shift until contract negotiations in fall 2026, but the company rejected it.
“Even in a brutal trade war, auto companies can make different decisions,” Payne said. “Decisions that respect the contributions and skilled work of Canadian autoworkers.”
Concerns have also recently mounted over a new trade provision that would allow a portion of the electric vehicle market to be filled by lower‑cost imports from China — a move workers fear will further erode Canadian manufacturing.
“Members of 222, members of Unifor National, I think you need to send a unanimous message that no way, no how, does Local 222 or Unifor National support the import of cheap, Chinese vehicles into our country,” said Jeff Gray, Unifor Local 222 president.