General Motors Canada Provides Update on Job Opportunities for Oshawa Assembly Workers


General Motors Canada Provides Update on Job Opportunities for Oshawa Assembly Workers

2018-12-14

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OSHAWA, Ont. (Friday, December 14, 2018)General Motors Canada today committed to provide financial support to help its employees with retraining and other assistance that will help them be prepared for more than 2,400 good, available new jobs estimated to be open in the Durham Region area in 2019 and 2020.

“My priority is to have a transition plan for every Oshawa Assembly employee,” said GM Canada president and managing director, Travis Hester. “We will work with our community colleges, universities, the government and all interested local employers, to make this happen and we are committing millions of dollars from GM Canada to support this effort.”

GM Canada has been contacted by a variety of individual employers with job opportunities for the highly skilled employees at Oshawa Assembly. Job fairs and targeted training programs are being prepared by a coalition of local partners to help auto workers transition to their next careers. More details of specific support from GM Canada and others will be confirmed as the company works with Unifor and its partners.

Since the General Motors Accelerated Transformation announcement on November 26, GM Canada and its community partners have identified:

  • 300 open jobs for auto technicians at GM dealerships in Ontario;
  • 100 jobs that will be open at GM’s other facilities in Ontario;
  • 2,000 jobs in energy and other industries in Durham;
  • A first local initiative: a one-stop, confidential portal will be launched in the new year by Durham College to help auto workers identify job openings, learn about new careers and begin training plans to ensure a smooth career transition. This will be followed by other on-line tools to assist auto workers.

“Durham Region employers know what we know,” said Travis Hester. “Oshawa Assembly workers set the standard for excellence in quality, productivity and innovative practices. They will continue to be a backbone of this community as our economy and our industry transform.”

“I especially want to thank Durham College President Don Lovisa and the many other educational institutions in the community who have come together to help our employees get a head start at new careers,” said Hester.  

More than 50 per cent of Oshawa Assembly permanent hourly workers now qualify for a GM Canada defined benefit pension, providing them a choice to move to retirement. GM’s November announcement impacts 2,600 hourly workers and approximately 340 salaried or contract workers at the Oshawa Assembly Plant. GM Canada will continue to discuss its announcements regarding Oshawa Assembly with Unifor.

GM announced its global Accelerated Transformation program on November 26 to advance the company’s vision of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion through a series of restructuring actions in the United States, Canada and globally.  GM Canada also operates the CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, the St. Catharines Engine and Transmission plant and a growing series of Canadian Technical Centres developing new automotive technologies of the future. 

About General Motors Canada

General Motors of Canada Company markets Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles through Canada’s largest dealer network, as well as OnStar and MAVEN services. Headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, GM Canada employs more than 7,700 people across the country and is a recognized leader in advanced manufacturing, green operations, active safety, and autonomous and connected vehicle technology research and development. More information on the company can be found at www.gm.ca and by following @GMcanada on Twitter.