The cut comes less than a year after the company first warned it would scale back truck production in Oshawa, citing US tariffs and an “evolving trade environment” as factors in its shift planning and export strategy. Truck volume will be reallocated to GM’s Fort Wayne, Ind., plant as the automaker adjusts its North American footprint in response to trade‑related costs and demand forecasts for full‑size pickups, reported CBC News.
Union hall packed on eve of layoffs
The looming end of the third shift triggered a packed information meeting at Unifor Local 222’s union hall in Oshawa on Jan. 28, where members were briefed on timelines, bumping procedures, and supports as they brace for job losses.
The union framed the decision squarely in the context of cross‑border trade tensions, noting that autoworkers “are in the middle of a deepening trade war, feeling the full force of tariffs every day.”
The Oshawa cut follows months of public and behind‑the‑scenes lobbying by Unifor, which had earlier succeeded in pushing GM to delay the third‑shift shutdown. In a 2025 update, the union confirmed the company had postponed the reduction until at least Jan. 30, 2026, after initially targeting late summer 2025, buying workers several additional months of employment before the latest confirmation that the shift will now end.
Tariffs and trade policy drive restructuring
The third‑shift elimination in Oshawa is part of a broader restructuring in Canada’s auto sector as manufacturers recalibrate production around US trade policy and tariff exposure.