St. Catharines GM Plant to Produce New V8 Engines

GM’s engine plant in St. Catharines

While around 500 employees at the Oshawa assembly plant and many others in the supply chain are coping with layoffs due to tariffs announced on Monday, workers at General Motors’ engine facility in St. Catharines were pleased to hear that it will manufacture the next generation of V8 engines for GM.

The St. Catharines Propulsion facility will be responsible for producing GM’s Gen 6 small block V8 engines, which will be used in the company’s full-size truck lineup (including the Chevrolet Silverado made in Oshawa) and SUVs.

This Niagara Region plant already produces the current Gen5 V8 engines, such as the 5.3L and 6.2L L87 models.

Despite the layoffs occurring in Oshawa, GM has confirmed that this plant will build a new line of gas-powered full-size pickups, bolstered by a recent investment of $280 million into the facility.

The reduction of shifts at Oshawa was initially announced back in May, with an extension granted from November until last Friday.

The company has committed to “work closely” with Unifor and Local 222 union representatives to assist employees through comprehensive separation packages, retirement support, and various other benefits.

Workers expressed their frustration regarding these changes during a recent meeting held in Oshawa and have pledged to continue advocating for the return of those lost jobs.

“We produce high quality trucks that generate billions in profits for General Motors. And how does GM repay that loyalty? With disrespect,” said Local 222 Plant Chair Chris Waugh. “GM loves to talk about family first, but the truth is simple: GM only cares about profit and the members know it.”

The union also fears a loss of nearly 50,000 truck productions due to shutting down the overnight shift, with that production moving to a GM facility located in Fort Wayne, Indiana.