GM announcement a “wonderful new beginning” for city: Carter

By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express

Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter says he is thrilled to see GM coming back to Oshawa, calling it a “wonderful new beginning” for the city.

GM announced it has reached a tentative agreement with Unifor to reopen the Oshawa plant as part of a $1.3 billion deal.

With the reopening of the plant, 2,000 workers will be working at the plant starting in 2021, and might even expand to 2,500 jobs, says Unifor National President Jerry Dias.

The deal, which has yet to be ratified, will see workers assembling pickup trucks.

According to Dias, with the new agreement, the $1.3 billion deal will not only reopen the plant, but also put in place a new body shop and a new assembly line, and will fix up the paint shop.

“We will be a complete assembly operations once again,” says Dias.

GM will begin hiring workers again in August 2021, and he says the first heavy duty truck will drive off the assembly line in January of 2022.

In March 2022, Dias also says the second shift will be brought back to the plant, and in May 2022, light duty vehicles will roll off the assembly line as well.

“By July of 2022, there is a strong possibility that a third shift will be introduced into the Oshawa assembly plant,” he adds.

The plant will be building Silverados and Sierras, and will be the only GM plant across the globe to have the ability to build heavy duty and light duty trucks, he says.

“These are General Motors’ best selling vehicles,” says Dias.

Speaking outside of Oshawa City Hall shortly after the announcement was made, Carter was quick to thank those who worked hard to reopen the GM plant.

“I think all the credit must go to two of the great partners in our city – that is Unifor and the people who are represented by Unifor, and the hard work that they do day-in and day-out,” he says, also thanking the negotiating team which saw the $1.3 billion deal come to fruition.

Finally he thanks GM for their willingness to make the investment in Oshawa.

Carter says a year ago he was at a dinner with Dias, who came up to him and made a promise.

“He came over to me and said, ‘Mayor Carter I promise you this: we will never forget about the people of Oshawa. We will never forget about our members at Unifor. We will never forget about the great history and heritage that the automobile industry has played in the great City of Oshawa. I promise you we will fight tooth and nail to be able to make sure that an investment comes back into the great City of Oshawa,’” says Carter.

Dias, who says he hasn’t slept as the deal with GM was completed at 3 a.m., says he knew this day would come.

“When GM made the announcement in November of 2018, it was a sad day for Oshawa, a devastating day for the workers, a devastating day for my family… but we made sure that we pushed GM to hit the pause button,” says Dias, noting GM agreed in 2019 to transform the plant to build after-market parts.

For Dias, the most important part of that deal was the integrity of the plant was maintained, which means the ability was still in place to manufacture.

Durham Regional Chair John Henry, who was in his final days as Oshawa’s mayor when GM announced the plant would be closing, says the announcement is welcome news.

“Durham Region’s automotive sector has been at the forefront of innovation for over a century, continuously innovating with advanced new solutions,” says Henry. “With the investment announced today, combined with GM’s new Automotive Vehicle Test Track, GM and Unifor have made it clear they intend to grow and maintain their position as key players in advanced mobility in Ontario.”

MPP Jennifer French released a statement expressing how happy she is to see GM reopening the plant.

“Oshawa is so glad to know that our story of manufacturing and vehicle production could be getting a next chapter,” she says. “After the torment of the last two years, the prospect of a deal is a massive relief for workers, families and the community.”

French says she is proud to have believed in the local auto industry, and says she will continue to stand by them.

“I am glad that Unifor and GM were able to hammer out a tentative agreement to build the future here in Oshawa,” she says. “General Motors has its roots in this town. I am so glad that Oshawa can continue to build GM.”

Durham MP and leader of the Conservative Party Erin O’Toole and Oshawa MP Colin Carrie released a joint statement alongside other members of the Conservatives upon hearing the announcement.

“Today’s announcement is welcomed positive news for our community, especially since COVID-19 and the economic hardships it has brought,” the statement reads. “This breathes new hope into the Oshawa Assembly Plant and the workers that were forced to leave that line last winter.”

The statement notes with this news, Durham Region will be a leader in Canada’s economic recovery.

“This is not only a win for our community, but for our entire province,” say the MPs. “GM’s planned investment in the Oshawa Assembly will mean up to 2,500 families in the region will once again be able to have financial security for their families, put food on the table, and a roof over their heads.”

GM Canada released a statement confirming the deal, but reinforcing the fact it needs member ratification, which will be held on Sunday, Nov. 8.