The GM Oshawa Contract Talks are now underway, with Unifor setting an August 21 target to reach a tentative agreement with General Motors.
Negotiations involve more than 4,600 unionized GM workers across Ontario, including employees at Oshawa Assembly, the St. Catharines Propulsion Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre.
The talks follow Unifor’s recently ratified three-year agreement with Ford, which established a bargaining pattern that includes wage increases, cost-of-living adjustments, bonuses and pension improvements.
Unifor says it expects GM to respect that pattern while also addressing job-security concerns at its Canadian plants.
A major issue in Oshawa is the third shift that was eliminated earlier this year, affecting more than 500 workers.
Across GM’s Canadian operations, approximately 30 per cent of represented workers are currently on layoff, including about 1,050 employees at the idled CAMI plant in Ingersoll.
Unifor National President Lana Payne said the union plans to use the Ford agreement as a foundation while pressing GM for commitments on plant operations and the long-term future of Canadian auto jobs.
GM Canada President Jack Uppal said the company is entering negotiations with respect for the bargaining process and wants an agreement that supports employees while maintaining competitiveness.
GM says it has invested approximately $3.3 billion in Canadian manufacturing facilities since 2020.
Questions also remain about the future of light-duty Silverado production in Oshawa as GM prepares to transition to next-generation trucks.
GM Canada has said there is no planned production scale-back at Oshawa Assembly and that the facility continues to play an important role in the company’s full-size truck operations.
The GM Oshawa Contract Talks are expected to focus heavily on wages, pensions, investment commitments, future production and restoring employment for workers currently on layoff.
Unifor has set August 21 as its target date for reaching a tentative agreement.
