GM plans to halt production temporarily, lay off 500 workers at Ingersoll plant
General Motors Co. will temporarily halt production of Chevrolet BrightDrop electric delivery vans at its plant in Ingersoll, Ont., the second automotive factory in Ontario to close since U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25-per-cent tariffs on imported vehicles.
After a limited production run in May, the plant will close until October. About 500 of the 1,200 unionized jobs will be eliminated when the CAMI Assembly plant east of London, Ont., reopens to make next year’s vans. The plant also assembles battery modules for electric passenger vehicles.
“This adjustment is directly related to responding to market demand and re-balancing inventory,” said Jennifer Wright, a GM spokeswoman. “Production of BrightDrop and EV battery assembly will remain at CAMI.”
The Unifor union, which represents workers at the factory, said the shutdown and layoffs are “devastating” for the employees, their families and the community.
“This is a crushing blow to hundreds of working families in Ingersoll and the surrounding region who depend on this plant,” said Unifor national president Lana Payne in a statement. “General Motors must do everything in its power to mitigate job loss during this downturn, and all levels of government must step up to support Canadian auto workers and Canadian-made products.”
Stellantis NV last week said its assembly plant in Windsor, Ont., will close for two weeks ending on April 21. The plant produces Chrysler Pacifica minivans and electric Dodge Chargers. Unifor Local 444 president James Stewart said 3,500 workers are laid off at the plant and another 2,000 at parts suppliers as a result.
Stellantis spokeswoman Lou Ann Gosselin said the halt will give the automaker time to assess the impact of the tariffs, and there is no change to the planned reopening date.
Unifor has been pushing Ottawa to buy the GM BrightDrop vans for mail delivery, urging other government agencies to support the plant.
“The BrightDrop electric delivery van is built in Canada by Canadian workers – it’s the smart choice for Canadian business, government agencies and for our economy,” Ms. Payne said. “Procurement and industrial policy go hand in hand. Now is the time for Canada to show leadership by investing in Canadian manufacturing.”
GM began production of the new vans at the plant in 2023 but overestimated the size of market. Sales have been poor, and inventories at U.S. dealers are too high.
The Detroit Free Press reported in March the vans are being outsold by Ford Motor Co.’s competing model, and a lot in Detroit is brimming with unsold BrightDrops.
The CAMI (Canadian Automotive Manufacturing Inc.) plant opened in 1989 as a joint venture with Suzuki Motor Corp. The plant, wholly owned by GM since 2009, has made a variety of cars over the years. The facility was retooled with taxpayer aid to become Canada’s first large-scale all-electric-vehicle plant, producing its first vans in 2022.
This article was first reported by The Globe and Mail
