According to a memo released by Unifor Local 222, General Motors intends to add 535 employees and a second shift to its Oshawa Car Assembly Plant in order to support truck production as it phases out production of the current-gen Equinox.
According to the “Shop Committee Update” memo released on April 24th, General Motors is offering the 667 “consolidated” employees on the Equinox line one of three choices: irrevocable retirement with a grandfathered 2018 Christmas bonus if done between August 1st and January 1st, 2018; the opportunity to “remain at work within your division in Flex,” where the plant builds GM sedans; or the opportunity to begin working on truck production between November and December after a brief layoff when Equinox production ends.
It’s anticipated that the second production shift will be added in Q2 2018, at which point the letter forecasts that GM will add another 500 jobs to support job production, meaning that all current Oshawa employees have the ability to maintain work at the plant.
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“We are confident no full-time members will be affected following the results of the retirement canvass, plus the fact that we presently have open jobs in both plants as well as the need for Launch containment heads,” the memo adds.
Automotive News notes that General Motors Canada has not yet confirmed whether the trucks in question are the new Silverados, though it is noted that GM Canada President Steve Carlisle confirmed that “a truck” will be built at Oshawa beginning this year.
“We will continue to keep the membership updated as we proceed through the model change. This will be a very busy time within our facility and challenging to say the least. Having said that, our facility is adding product and jobs and this is positive for the City of Oshawa,” the memo closes.
Outside of the 667 employees that current work in Equinox assembly, Oshawa employs 1,600 in the production of the Chevrolet Impala, Cadillac XTS, and Buick Regal.
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