Production at GM plant wrapping up next week

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

The final vehicle will roll off the production line at General Motors’ Oshawa assembly plant sometime next week.

The company has confirmed the shutdown of the longstanding plant will happen during the week of Dec. 16.

Jennifer Wright, GM Canada director of communications, told The Oshawa Express the company hasn’t pinned down the exact date, but said, “we know it will be some day next week.”

On Nov. 29, 2018, General Motors announced it would be shutting down the historic Oshawa plant by the end of this year, putting more than 2,500 employees out of work.

Union officials vowed to fight the plant’s closure, but an agreement was signed in May 2019 to keep 300 employees in the plant for stamping operations.

Wright said some of those workers have already transitioned to their new positions, while others will do so in the near future.

“That will gradually start to be on-boarded in the new year,” she said.

General Motors is also in the midst of building a track for autonomous and advanced vehicle testing.

The 55-acre facility will be located at the south end of GM’s plant located near Phillip Murray Avenue and Stevenson Road.

The track is expected to open in 2020, but Wright said the early onset of winter weather has has effected construction.

Wright said discussions are ongoing in regards to the future of land and facilities the company will not require moving forward.