Around 500 autoworkers will lose their jobs by the end of this week as General Motors shuts down one of its three shifts at the assembly plant in Oshawa, Ont.
This decision was first revealed in May 2025, with an initial plan to cut a third of jobs set for November.
The deadline was pushed back by three months to March, but starting Feb. 2, only two shifts of workers will be needed at the plant.
“We’re upset. The members are upset. The union is upset,” Jeff Gray, president of Unifor Local 222, told .
“There’s no other way to deal with this. We’re angry that the third shift has been taken away from us. We feel it was a reckless decision from General Motors.”
A spokesperson for General Motors stated that the company had a “comprehensive” package for workers being laid off and remains committed to its ongoing operations in Oshawa.
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Gray, however, expressed feeling let down after his workers put their “blood, sweat and tears” into assembling trucks for GM.
© 2026 – A division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won’t miss a trending story. When asked about what might have influenced this move, he said: “Donald Trump. Plain and simple.” Around 500 individuals will be directly affected after some opted for early retirement packages or chose to leave the company. Across the supply chain, Gray mentioned that more than 1,000 would lose their jobs. Unifor national president Lana Payne remarked in a news release Thursday that GM was acting on U. S. President Donald Trump’s requests. “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.” Unifor pointed out that GM increased production of Silverado pickup trucks in Fort Wayne, Ind., prior to announcing the end of the third shift in Oshawa which also makes those trucks; however, the company disputes any direct transfer of production. Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated on Thursday there was “a plan” for those who are being laid off. “We’re going to make sure that they have opportunities in the defence sector, life science sector, other areas, and we’ll be there for them 24-7,” he said in Ottawa. More on Politics More videos Story continues below “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 in to support not only these workers but also the overall auto sector.” The premier’s critics argue that this closure shows he is failing his promise to shield Ontario from Trump’s tariffs-his main pledge during last year’s snap election. <p“With news of a shift cut coming in May of 2025 and no sign of President Trump backing off his punitive tariffs; you have to wonder if there was more the government could have done to protect these jobs,” Ontario Liberal MPP Rob Cerjanic stated. Local Ontario NDP MPP Jennifer French insisted that autoworkers would still be around even after current tariff issues resolve themselves. <p“Oshawa’s auto workers will outlast Trump,” she said in a statement. “GM, Doug Ford and Mark Carney need to be planning a future that takes us further down that road. The fight for Oshawa’s auto future is not over.” The layoffs represent yet another challenge facing Ontario’s struggling auto industry. Stellantis has idled its Brampton facility while GM has also halted production of delivery vans elsewhere within the province. Other firms have paused or delayed investments they previously planned. — With files from The Canadian Press© 2026 – A division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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