Hundreds of autoworkers in Oshawa are bracing for layoffs as General Motors moves forward with the elimination of one production shift at its local assembly plant, a decision that will leave roughly 500 people without work by the end of the week.
The shift reduction was originally revealed in May 2025, when GM said it would scale back operations by removing a third shift later in the year. That plan has since been accelerated. Instead of taking effect in November, the cut was moved up to March, with only two shifts operating from Feb. 2 onward.
Union leaders say the decision has hit workers hard, both financially and emotionally. Jeff Gray, president of Unifor Local 222, said frustration and anger are widespread on the shop floor.
“Our members are furious,” Gray said in an interview. “They’ve given everything to this company, and now the third shift is gone. We believe this was an irresponsible move by General Motors.”
GM has said it will provide what it describes as a “comprehensive” support and transition package for those affected and maintains that it remains committed to its ongoing manufacturing presence in Oshawa. Still, Gray said many workers feel abandoned after years of helping keep the plant productive.
“These people poured their blood, sweat and tears into building trucks here,” he said. “That loyalty doesn’t feel like it’s being returned.”
When asked what he believes ultimately drove the decision, Gray pointed to politics south of the border.
“Donald Trump,” he said bluntly, referring to renewed U.S. trade pressure from Donald Trump.
While some employees opted for early retirement or voluntary exit programs, about 500 workers will be directly laid off. Gray warned that the ripple effects could be even larger, estimating that more than 1,000 additional jobs could disappear across suppliers and related industries.
Unifor national president Lana Payne echoed those concerns, accusing GM of bowing to U.S. political demands. In a statement Thursday, she said the company chose to appease Trump rather than defend its Canadian workforce, forcing Oshawa workers to bear the cost.
The union also noted that GM increased production of Silverado pickup trucks at its facility in Fort Wayne shortly before confirming the Oshawa shift cut. GM disputes claims that production was directly shifted out of Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford acknowledged the layoffs, saying the province is preparing support plans for affected workers.
“We’re going to help them find opportunities in areas like defence, life sciences, and other growing sectors,” Ford said Thursday in Ottawa. “We’ll be there for them around the clock.”
Ford added that the situation underscores the need for faster and stronger federal action to support the auto industry as a whole.
Opposition parties were quick to criticize the government’s response. Ontario Liberal MPP Rob Cerjanic said the writing had been on the wall for months, pointing to the initial announcement last spring and ongoing U.S. tariff threats.
“You have to ask whether more could have been done to protect these jobs,” Cerjanic said.
Ontario NDP MPP Jennifer French struck a more defiant note, saying Oshawa’s workforce has survived past crises and will survive this one as well.
“Oshawa’s auto workers will outlast Trump,” she said. “What we need now is a real plan from GM, Doug Ford, and Mark Carney for the future of auto manufacturing in this city.”
The Oshawa layoffs are the latest sign of trouble for Ontario’s auto sector. Stellantis has idled its Brampton assembly plant, GM has paused delivery van production elsewhere in the province, and several manufacturers have delayed or frozen planned investments.
For many in Oshawa, the loss of the third shift is not just a job cut, but another reminder of how vulnerable Canada’s auto industry has become amid global trade tensions and political uncertainty.
