The cross-border auto industry faces new strain as General Motors scales back in Oshawa while boosting production in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
GM confirmed it will cut one of three shifts at its Ontario Assembly, resulting in about 750 job losses by January 30, along with ripple effects across the supply chain. At the same time, the company is hiring 250 temporary workers in Indiana to expand production of Chevrolet Silverados.
The announcement follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to impose 25 per cent tariffs on finished vehicles and parts—a move experts say could deepen divides between Canadian and American auto workers.
In Fort Wayne, UAW Local 2209 bargaining chair Rich LeTourneau defended the added jobs: “I respect Canadian unions. But when the company comes to me to increase volume, I’m not going to say no. It’s job security for my people.”
In Oshawa, Unifor Local 222 president Jeff Gray said the situation reflects an uneven playing field. “We’re not angry with UAW. They’re our brothers, our sisters. But right now, the playing field isn’t level, and that concerns us.”
For Oshawa, the decision revives bitter memories. GM first shuttered the plant in 2019 after more than a century of operations, only to reopen in 2021 following a $1.2 billion retooling. Once employing 23,000 at its 1980s peak, the plant now has around 3,000 workers—many young families who left other careers for the promise of stable union jobs.
Fort Wayne, meanwhile, is seeing opportunity. Local officials say Trump’s tariffs are drawing interest from foreign companies considering new plants in the region. GM is already the county’s third-largest employer.
But even in Indiana, challenges loom. LeTourneau noted absentee rates have reached 22 per cent: “You can bring all the manufacturing jobs you want back in the U.S., but if there’s nobody here to do them, we got a problem.”
Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter remains in talks with GM Canada about the city’s manufacturing future, stressing that innovation and productivity must define the next chapter. “We can’t just lean on history,” he said.
For two communities on opposite sides of the border, GM’s shift highlights the delicate balance of jobs, trade policy, and identity in North America’s auto heartland.
