News that General Motors (GM) is extending production at a Detroit area assembly plant is giving Unifor Canada hope that the Oshawa plant can stay open.
The Hamtramck plant was one of the five plants slated to close this year as part of a restructuring plan that includes shutting down Oshawa.
"Strong political pressure in the U.S. has made a difference," said Unifor in a Friday afternoon tweet. "Time for the feds and Ontario to step up!"
GM notified employees, suppliers and dealers on Friday that the completion of the Impala and CT6 production at Detroit/Hamtramck will extend into January 2020.
"We are balancing production timing while continuing the availability of Cadillac advanced technology features currently included in the CT6-V, the Blackwing Twin-Turbo V-8 and Super Cruise," GM said in a statement on Friday. "The completion of production for these vehicles had been previously scheduled to occur in June."
"The decision to extend production at a Detroit-area assembly plant by seven months proves that consumers can change corporate choices," said Unifor.
The NDP in Ontario sent out a news release Friday afternoon which said that the GM extension proves that GM jobs can be saved, but added that Premier Doug Ford is refusing to fight for them.
“The Michigan government fought for their GM jobs and got results. But the Doug Ford government refuses to commit to saving Oshawa’s GM jobs,” said Oshawa’s NDP MPP Jennifer French.
A total of 2,600 jobs will be lost in Oshawa if the plant closes its doors as planned.
“We have concrete proof that GM jobs can be saved when leaders show leadership. Workers in auto and manufacturing deserve a premier who will back them up, not turn his back at the first opportunity,” French added.