Unifor members voted to ratify new contracts with General Motors (NYSE: GM) this weekend, securing more than $1 billion in investment across the automaker’s Ontario operations and a commitment to keep an idled assembly plant from closing.
The main agreement, covering Oshawa Assembly along with operations in St. Catharines and Woodstock, passed with 80.5% support; a separate agreement covering the CAMI plant in Ingersoll passed with 96.5% support. The two deals cover roughly 4,600 union members across Ontario.
The contracts direct $144 million toward bringing heavy-duty GMC Sierra assembly to Oshawa, and set aside $215 million, so St. Catharines Propulsion can begin building a new transmission design once that line is ready near the end of the decade.
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Oshawa already builds both light- and heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado pickups on one line, and the Sierra investment would bring GMC trucks into that same setup. Both investments build on the $691 million St. Catharines V-8 engine project GM announced in April.
Flashback: Canada Seeks to Recover Millions From GM After Plant Layoffs
The Ingersoll plant has been dormant since late 2025, when weak demand led GM to stop building the Chevrolet BrightDrop electric van there, a decision that put about 1,050 people out of work. The new agreement doesn’t restart production, but GM committed to holding off on closing or selling the plant while it studies alternatives, including possible priority for Canadian Armed Forces work if GM lands a defense contract.
Unifor National President Lana Payne tied the deal to Washington’s trade posture, saying GM is investing in its Canadian workforce and facilities at a time when “our domestic auto industry is under siege by the Trump Administration.”
Trump has separately pledged to push tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles, parts, and steel up to 50% when the new year begins in 2027.
Read: Trump escalates Canada trade war with 50% auto tariffs
