Oshawa Truck Assembly

Oshawa Truck Assembly was a General Motors Canada truck factory in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada that opened in 1965 and closed in 2009. The plant is part of the larger GM Autoplex, which includes Oshawa Car Assembly and a now-closed battery plant. The Autoplex is located next to major highways and rail lines, giving it easy access to parts and markets across North America.

The Oshawa Truck plant was manufacturing the 2008 Silverado, Sierra, Sierra Denali Edition, and Sierra Texas Edition. It has also produced Chevrolet/GMC C/K as well.

GM announced on June 3, 2008 that this plant would close permanently May 14, 2009, with no future plans for new products. The closure was due to high gasoline prices in much of the world, as well as a deep recession caused by the financial crisis. These dramatically decreased demand for fuel-inefficient light trucks and truck-based vehicles, especially in the crucial market of the United States. GM itself had been in a precarious financial situation for several years, which dramatically worsened as a result of the 2008 economic problems, eventually forcing it to seek government aid and potentially filing for bankruptcy.

Three weeks prior to the announcement of the closure, General Motors and the Canadian Auto Workers union reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining contract on May 15, 2008, a full four months before the existing contract was due to expire. As part of the agreement, GM pledged to maintain production at the Oshawa truck plant and made other production commitments. On June 3, 2008, less than three weeks after ratification of the new contract, GM announced that, due to soaring gasoline prices and plummeting truck sales, it would close four additional truck and SUV plants, including the Oshawa truck plant.^[1] In response, the CAW organized a blockade of the GM of Canada headquarters in Oshawa. The blockade was ended by an Ontario Superior Court order after 12 days. Further discussions between GM and the CAW resulted in an agreement to compensate workers at the truck plant and additional product commitments for the Oshawa car assembly plant.^[2]

The last truck off the line, a GMC Sierra, was raffled off to an employee and the proceeds went to the Hospital for Sick Children. It marked the end of 44 years of production.^[3][4]

Latest models manufactured at Oshawa

• Chevrolet Silverado
• GMC Sierra

Previous models manufactured

• Chevrolet/GMC C/K

See also

• Oshawa Car Assembly - sister plant located next door on the same site
• Scarborough Van Assembly
• General Motors Canada
• Oshawa
• List of GM factories

References

1. ^ http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=3&docid=46161
2. ^ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080728.RGM28/TPStory/Business
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ [2]

Coordinates: 43°51′53″N 78°51′47″W / 43.8648°N 78.863°W / 43.8648; -78.863