This week in Toronto, contract talks began between Unifor and General Motors, with union leaders outlining their key demands. A major focus is on having the GMC Sierra produced at GM’s Oshawa plant. More broadly, the union aims to safeguard Canadian automotive jobs and ensure long-term commitments for the plants.
Unifor represents more than 4,600 members across GM locations in Ontario, including 2,750 at the Oshawa facility, 1,050 at CAMI in Ingersoll, 700 at the St. Catharines Propulsion plant, and 110 at the Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre.
A pressing concern for the union is that about 30 percent of these workers are currently laid off due to the elimination of Oshawa’s third shift in February and the halt of electric van production at CAMI.
Pressure from below
Unifor National President Lana Payne stated that during these negotiations, the union has “something to prove” to its members. A key goal is to get GM to align with the agreement ratified with Ford last month. That three-year deal received a 74 percent approval rate and included wage increases, cost-of-living adjustments, bonuses, and pension enhancements.
Now facing GM negotiators at the table, Unifor is actively advocating for reinstating the third shift in Oshawa and bringing back laid-off workers to CAMI. At present, any future production plans are still under review by GM.
A Chevrolet Silverado built in Oshawa | Photo: General Motors
Bringing Sierra production northward
To enhance domestic manufacturing capabilities, Unifor wants GM to add GMC Sierra production alongside Chevrolet Silverado at Oshawa’s assembly line. Payne highlighted a growing gap in production: last year GM sold around 300,000 vehicles in Canada but only assembled about 130,000 domestically-even though Sierra outsold Silverado during the first half of 2026.
While GM confirmed that Oshawa will manufacture next-generation full-size pickups for the 2027 model year, specific model allocations have yet to be announced.
Unifor has set a strike deadline of August 21 to reach a tentative agreement before moving on to discussions with Stellantis.
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