Unifor will begin contract negotiations with General Motors on August 10, with the talks carrying major implications for workers at the company’s Oshawa Assembly plant.
The Oshawa GM contract talks are part of negotiations covering more than 4,600 union members employed at General Motors facilities across Ontario. Those operations include Oshawa Assembly, Ingersoll Assembly, St. Catharines Propulsion and the Woodstock Distribution Centre.
General Motors will be the second Detroit Three automaker to enter negotiations with Unifor during the union’s 2026 bargaining round. The talks are scheduled to take place at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto, with additional opening-day details expected from the union.
Oshawa GM Contract Talks Follow Ford Agreement
The GM negotiations follow Unifor’s successful bargaining with Ford Motor Company, where union members recently approved a new three-year collective agreement.
Ford production workers covered by the master agreement voted 74 per cent in favour. Salaried bargaining-unit members at two Unifor locals approved the agreement by margins of 97 per cent and 100 per cent.
The Ford agreement covers approximately 5,150 workers and provides annual wage increases of three per cent in each year. It also includes renewed cost-of-living adjustments, pension and benefit improvements, bonuses, investment commitments and enhanced job-security measures.
Full-rate Ford production wages are scheduled to reach $50.20 per hour by the end of the agreement, while skilled-trades wages are expected to increase to $62.71 per hour. Eligible workers will also receive a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus and a $2,000 December bonus during the agreement’s first year.
The Ford contract is expected to establish the pattern Unifor will attempt to apply during negotiations with General Motors. However, the final GM agreement could contain different provisions depending on the circumstances and priorities at each facility.
Job Security Expected to Be Important in Oshawa
Job and income security are expected to receive significant attention during the bargaining process because Oshawa Assembly experienced substantial workforce reductions earlier in 2026.
The plant’s third shift ended on January 29, eliminating more than 700 direct positions. Unifor said additional jobs were also affected at companies that supply the Oshawa operation.
The Oshawa facility produces light-duty and heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks. GM says it is the company’s only North American plant building both versions of the Silverado on the same production line.
General Motors has also announced a $343-million investment to prepare Oshawa Assembly for production of its next generation of gas-powered full-size pickup trucks. GM says the Oshawa operation has received approximately $1.5 billion in investment since 2020.
Those commitments provide an important foundation for the plant, but employees will be watching for greater clarity about staffing levels, future shifts, product allocation and long-term production.
More Than Wages at Stake
Unifor has not yet released a complete list of its GM bargaining demands. Based on the Ford pattern and conditions at the Oshawa plant, negotiations are likely to address wages, cost-of-living protection, pensions, benefits, bonuses, staffing and future investment.
The union may also seek job-security language similar to the no-closure and production commitments included in the Ford agreement. That would be particularly important for Oshawa workers following the loss of the third shift.
The Oshawa GM contract talks will also affect families, suppliers and businesses connected to one of Durham Region’s largest industrial employers.
Negotiations begin August 10. Further updates are expected when Unifor and General Motors formally open bargaining, announce priorities or reach a tentative agreement.
