As contract negotiations between Unifor and General Motors got underway this week in Toronto, union leaders were quick to outline their priorities. Notably, the union is pushing to have the automaker’s Oshawa plant produce the GMC Sierra. In more general terms, the union is working to protect Canadian automotive manufacturing jobs and secure long-term plant commitments.
Unifor represents over 4,600 members across Ontario GM facilities, including 2,750 at the Oshawa plant, 1,050 at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, 700 at the St. Catharines Propulsion plant and 110 at the Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre.
One big issue for the union, and that’s putting it mildly, is that, roughly 30 per cent of those workers are currently on layoff following the elimination of Oshawa's third shift in February and the shutdown of electric van production at CAMI.
Pressure from below
Unifor National President Lana Payne emphasized that the union has “something to prove” to its membership during these negotiations. A central priority for the union is establishing GM's commitment to get on board with following along the same lines as the agreement ratified with Ford last month. That three-year deal, which passed with 74 per cent approval, secured general wage increases, cost-of-living adjustments, bonuses and pension upgrades.
Now facing GM negotiators at the table, the union is aggressively lobbying to restore the third shift in Oshawa and bring laid-off workers back to the CAMI facility. Currently, any plans for future production remains under assessment by GM.
Bringing Sierra production northward
To boost domestic manufacturing, Unifor is pushing GM to add the GMC Sierra to the Oshawa assembly line alongside the closely related Chevrolet Silverado. Payne pointed out a widening production gap: GM sold roughly 300,000 vehicles in Canada last year but assembled only 130,000 domestically, despite the Sierra outselling the Silverado in Canada during the first half of 2026.
Note that while GM has confirmed Oshawa will build next-generation full-size pickups for the 2027 model year, specific model allocations remain unannounced.
Unifor has set a strike deadline of August 21 to reach a tentative deal before moving on to negotiate with Stellantis.