Oshawa Truck Assembly
Encyclopedia
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. 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
.
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.
General Motors Canada
General Motors of Canada Limited is General Motors' Canadian division. Its national headquarters office, Canadian Regional Engineering Centre, and main manufacturing plants are located in Oshawa, Ontario. GM Canada is 100% owned by GM.As of Apr...
truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
factory in Oshawa
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that opened in 1965 and closed in 2009. The plant is part of the larger GM Autoplex, which includes Oshawa Car Assembly
Oshawa Car Assembly
Oshawa Car Assembly is a major manufacturing facility in the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada building various automobiles for General Motors Canada. The factory is one of the largest auto plants in the world and has won a number of awards...
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
Silverado
Silverado is a 1985 American Western film produced and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. The screenplay was written by Kasdan and his brother Mark. The film depicts a chance encounter between a group of cowboys who travel to the town of Silverado, where they thwart the plans of a rancher and a corrupt...
, Sierra, Sierra Denali Edition, and Sierra Texas Edition. It has also produced Chevrolet/GMC C/K
Chevrolet C/K
The C/K is the name for Chevrolet and GMC's full-size pickup truck line from 1960 until 1999 in the United States, from 1965 to 1999 Canada, from 1964 through 2001 in Brazil, and from 1975 to 1982 in Chile. The first Chevrolet pickup truck appeared in 1924, though in-house designs did not appear...
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
Late 2000s recession in the Americas
As one of the most developed regions in the world, the late 2000s – early 2010s recession in the Americas is seen as one of worst disaster areas of all the world. While Canada has managed to return their economy nearly to the levels they enjoyed prior to the recession, the United States and Mexico...
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. GM itself had been in a precarious financial situation
Automotive industry crisis of 2008–2009
The automotive industry crisis of 2008–2010 was a part of a global financial downturn. The crisis affected European and Asian automobile manufacturers, but it was primarily felt in the American automobile manufacturing industry...
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
Canadian Auto Workers
The Canadian Auto Workers is one of Canada's largest and highest profile social unions. While rooted in Ontario's large auto plants of Windsor, Brampton, Oakville, St...
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. 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
Oshawa Car Assembly
Oshawa Car Assembly is a major manufacturing facility in the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada building various automobiles for General Motors Canada. The factory is one of the largest auto plants in the world and has won a number of awards...
.
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
Hospital for Sick Children
The Hospital for Sick Children – is a major paediatric centre for the Greater Toronto Area, serving patients up to age 18. Located on University Avenue in Downtown Toronto, SickKids is part of the city’s Discovery District, a critical mass of scientists and entrepreneurs who are focused on...
. It marked the end of 44 years of production.
See also
- Oshawa Car AssemblyOshawa Car AssemblyOshawa Car Assembly is a major manufacturing facility in the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada building various automobiles for General Motors Canada. The factory is one of the largest auto plants in the world and has won a number of awards...
- sister plant located next door on the same site - Scarborough Van AssemblyScarborough Van AssemblyScarborough Van Assembly was a General Motors Canada plant in Scarborough, Ontario, which opened in 1952. It once stood on the current Eglinton Town Centre retail complex, located in the Golden Mile between Victoria Park Avenue and Warden Avenue...
- General Motors CanadaGeneral Motors CanadaGeneral Motors of Canada Limited is General Motors' Canadian division. Its national headquarters office, Canadian Regional Engineering Centre, and main manufacturing plants are located in Oshawa, Ontario. GM Canada is 100% owned by GM.As of Apr...
- OshawaOshawaOshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
- List of GM factories