‘Said our goodbyes’: Hundreds of GM Oshawa workers finish final shift as layoffs take effect

Hundreds of autoworkers at the General Motors (GM) Oshawa Assembly Complex walked off the line for the last time early Friday morning, marking the end of the plant’s third shift and the beginning of sweeping layoffs that will ripple through the region’s auto sector.

The final midnight shift wrapped up at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, closing a chapter for more than 700 GM employees and triggering hundreds more job losses across the supply chain.

“At the end of our shift, you know, we said our goodbyes and wrapped it up,” one Oshawa GM worker told Breakfast Television outside the plant. “Some people are sad… People have to find new jobs, and, unfortunately, that sucks… It’s upsetting.”

While some higher‑seniority workers will be able to “bump” into remaining shifts under union rules, Unifor says the majority of affected employees will not have that option.

The cuts come at a moment of deep frustration for workers, many of whom say they are paying the price for escalating trade tensions between Canada and the United States. The U.S. administration’s 25 per cent tariff on Canadian‑built vehicles has reshaped production decisions across the industry — and in Oshawa, many workers say the consequences have landed squarely on them.

“They’re worried about how they’re going to pay their bills and provide for their families. It’s scary. It’s not good right now inside that plant,” GM Chairperson Chris Waugh said on Friday.

“We need a government right now to focus on the United States of America and not every other country. Ninety per cent of our trucks… Ontario really trades with the United States of America. We need a trade deal with the United States of America, not China, not Korea.”

GM announced in May that it would eliminate the third shift, a move that coincided with the company increasing Silverado production at its Fort Wayne, Ind., facility. The Oshawa plant builds both light‑ and heavy‑duty Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks.

The layoffs also come the same week GM reported more than $12 billion in pre‑tax earnings for 2025, along with plans to boost shareholder returns through dividend increases and a $6‑billion stock buyback — a contrast that has intensified anger among workers facing unemployment.

In a statement, GM said it has worked with Unifor to support employees “through this transition with comprehensive separation packages, retirement support and other benefits,” adding that impacted workers will receive Supplemental Unemployment Benefits that, combined with Employment Insurance, amount to 70 per cent of regular weekly earnings.