Workers returned to the assembly line at General Motors' Oshawa, Ontario, plant on Tuesday, a local union leader told local media, after walking out on Monday to protest news the plant had been scheduled to shut down in December 2019.
Colin James, the president of Unifor Local 222, which represents workers at the plant, confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday morning, Canadian time, his members were back at work.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Union leaders were scheduled to meet with prime minister Justin Trudeau in the capital, Ottawa, on Tuesday afternoon.
Trudeau had expressed "deep disappointment" at GM's move on Monday, the news agency noted.
The plant closure, which affects 2,973 assembly line workers, would end more than 100 years of vehicle production in the city east of Toronto. It is part of a wider restructuring that will eliminate 15,000 jobs, GM said on Monday.
At a press conference in Oshawa on Monday, Unifor national president Jerry Dias promised "one hell of a fight", according to Reuters.
The report noted that, in 2009, GM shut down Oshawa's truck plant, blaming weak demand for pickup trucks and SUVs. It also noted the city has a long history of labour unrest and that, when the truck plant closure was announced, a convoy of 250 cars surrounded GM's Oshawa operations, temporarily halting production.
During a 1996 strike, amid rumors that the company would try to restart production, a group of workers took over the plant, welding the doors shut behind them, Reuters added.
