Oshawa, Ontario — A historic site of automotive creation came to an end on Dec. 18 when it was announced that the General Motors Oshawa plant had officially seen the last vehicle roll down its assembly line.
The plan to close the Oshawa location, along with four U.S. locations, was decided back in November of 2018. On Dec. 18, at approximately 2 p.m., the last pickup truck—a GMC Sierra—was assembled in the facility by the remaining 2,600 employees. According to GM Canada, the pickup truck was raffled off to the workers who built it.
Unifor, the union representing GM Canada workers, said that members are “saddened” by the closure of the award-winning plant, which marks the end of GM’s more than 100 years of automotive manufacturing in Oshawa.
“General Motors’ decision to stop vehicle production at the birthplace of GM Canada is devastating to workers, many of whom come from GM families who have been at the plant for generations,” said Jerry Dias, the national president of Unifor. “There is no question that this is a difficult time for workers, for our union and for the people of Oshawa.”
It is estimated that the closure will ultimately affect more than 5,000 unionized and non-unionized employees at GM and its affiliates. Despite the ordeal for the affected, Dias ended his statement with a message of hope.
“I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the members who built General Motors into a world-leading manufacturer,” said Dias. “We’re not giving up on that legacy and when we face GM in negotiations next year job creation will be a priority for our union.”
According to GM, the location of the plant will still be used for the company’s upcoming advanced vehicle testing track, which began construction earlier in December.
