GM is closing it's production plant in Oshawa throwing as many as 2,522 workers into unemployment.
General Motors will close its production plant in Oshawa, along with four facilities in the U.S. as part of a global reorganization that will see the company focus on electric and autonomous vehicle programs.
The auto manufacturer announced the closures as part of a sweeping strategy to transform its product line and manufacturing process in order to meet changing demand in the transportation industry, a plan that it says will save the company $6 billion by the year 2020.
GM also says it will reduce salaried and salaried contract staff by 15 per cent, which includes 25 per cent fewer executives.
This morning, dozens of workers were seen walking out of the Oshawa Assembly Plant, with some saying they were very unhappy with news of the planned closure.
Unifor, the union representing more than 2,500 workers at the plant, says it has been told that there is no product allocated to the Oshawa plant past December 2019.
Here in St. Catharines, Greg Brady, President of Unifor Local 199, said the potential closure does not mean big changes in St. Catharines.
He says only about 20% of the engines from St. Catharines go to Oshawa, most of the St. Catharines work goes to GM's plant in Texas.