GM Moving Chevrolet Camaro Production From Oshawa To Lansing

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

GM is set to announce that production of the Chevrolet Camaro will move from its current home in Oshawa, Ontario, to a plant in Lansing, Michigan.

According to The Globe and Mail, GM and the Canadian Auto Workers agreed to keep production of the Camaro in Oshawa until 2014, when the current generation ended its lifecycle. Beyond that, no promises were made.

Recent contract negotiations between GM and the CAW saw Oshawa recieve a third shift at its “flex line” to build the all-new Chevrolet Impala. The Camaro is currently built on the flex line, alongside the Buick Regal, and the move is sure to be a blow to workers at Oshawa, which recently had its consolidated assembly line closed after Impala production was partly moved to another plant in Michigan.

The best case scenario is that GM is betting big on the Impala, and looking to free up further capacity for the full-size sedan – or perhaps another car. At worst, it’s a way of sticking it to the CAW, or an attempt to divest from Canada and its high labor costs.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Philadlj Philadlj on Dec 19, 2012

    U S A ! U S A !

  • Dusterdude Dusterdude on Dec 19, 2012

    I'm not a big union lover, but as a Canadian taxpayer, all I can say is "ouch" Between the Federal and Provincial levels of government we ponied up ~ $15 Billion in 2009. (I understand the Cdn goverment had agreements that Canada would keep 16% (min) of GM's North American production, but not sure how long that agreement was for, and whether this move would still keep production at min of 16% ?)

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    • Sunridge place Sunridge place on Dec 19, 2012

      @28-Cars-Later St Thomas closure? Kind of related to stopping the Crown Vic/Towncar...not exchange rate. In case you haven't or didn't notice, the big 2.5 aren't exactly needing factory capacity and have been shedding capacity in North America for years. GM used their bankruptcy to finish the job for the most part. GM finally closed their plant in Shreveport, La this year with the end of Colorado/Canyon production. Its not like Canada has been singled out by GM. I'm guessing GM will fulfill their 16% commitment...but they aren't going to lay out their plans to the world right now.

  • El scotto El scotto on Dec 19, 2012

    In the Great White North version of the bailout doesn't GM have to keep a certain percentage of production in Canada? Has the Canadian Government sounded in on this?

  • Gardiner Westbound Gardiner Westbound on Dec 19, 2012

    Bludgeoning the automakers into accepting unaffordable contracts, as the CAW did in the last negotiations, is hastening the end of U.S. auto manufacturing in Canada. The CAW disinformation machine touted the short term benefits and the unionistas ate it up. But the CEOs are not financial nincompoops. Long term they won't pay the world's highest auto assembly wages. Significantly Chrysler would not agree to a third shift at the Brampton plant. That's a thousand long term jobs that will never happen thanks to union hubris and short-term thinking.

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    • Power6 Power6 on Dec 22, 2012

      @el scotto Well he made a good point, the execs will accept the union contract the first time around even if they don't like what short term choice do they have. They use the time before the next negotiation to plan their production moves...just one more signed contract is not everything in the long term.

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