GM Canada says it will find 2,400 jobs for Oshawa workers

General Motors of Canada says it will help employees affected by the closure of the Oshawa Assembly plant next year fill a number of 2,400 jobs spread across the region and Ontario.

The automaker says several employers have identified about 2,000 jobs that will become open in the Durham region, northeast of Toronto, in 2019 and 2020.

In addition, General Motors has identified 300 openings for auto technicians at GM dealerships in Ontario and 100 jobs that will be open at other GM facilities in Ontario.

The automaker operates a propulsion factory at the St. Catharines engine and transmission plant, an assembly plant in Ingersoll that builds the Chevrolet Equinox and has a number of r&d centers scattered across the province.

GM Canada Vice President David Paterson told The Canadian Press on Friday the company is committed to spend "millions" to ensure its employees get the retraining they require, but the exact amount will depend on what other employers provide.

"What we want to do is to assure employees that their training will be taken care of. We'll make sure that there's enough money to do that," he said in an interview.GM said on Nov. 26 the Oshawa plant, which builds the Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Impala and finishes assembly of outgoing models of the light- and heavy-duty GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado, will not be allotted new product after 2019. All four vehicles it currently builds will be axed from the automaker's lineup.

GM Canada says Durham College will also establish a confidential Internet portal in the new year to help auto workers identify job openings and begin plans for appropriate retraining at one of several schools in the area.

The city of Oshawa and surrounding areas east of Toronto were shocked last month when the highly rated Oshawa Assembly plant was included as one of five North American GM plants expected to close next year.

A coalition of local partners is preparing job fairs and targeted training programs, designed to help auto workers transition. More details of specific support from GM Canada and others will be confirmed as the company works with Unifor and its partners, the automaker said in a statement Friday.

Unifor President Jerry Dias has said the union would fight against the Oshawa closure, but GM says it wants a smooth transition for about 3,000 unionized and salaried employees. The company says more than half of Oshawa Assembly permanent hourly workers qualify for a GM Canada defined benefit pension.

Dias said in an interview with The Canadian Press that the training commitment is just a distraction from the company's lack of commitment to Canada.

“All of these announcements that General Motors is making about retraining, they're trying to hide the fact that they're a terrible corporate citizen.”

GM says it will be discussing further benefits packages for employees with the union, but Dias said the focus is entirely on saving Oshawa. If the plant closes, GM's only Canadian assembly plant will be CAMI in Ingersoll, Ont., which produces the same Chevrolet Equinox the company produces in Mexico.

“If there's going to be a reduction in volume, guess where they're taking it out of?’” said Dias. “It's all intertwined. GM is leaving Canada, and we're not going to let them. That's what the bottom line is here....we are going to waste General Motors over the next year. Waste them.”

Paterson said GM recognizes that the union has voiced "some strong opinions" but thinks it would be good for employees if they have time to plan for their future.

"We have an obligation and duty to work with our union to determine -- in addition to our pensions and the income supplements our employees will get -- what things we can provide," Paterson said.

He said two of the prospective employers that came to GM after the closure announcement are Ontario Power Generation and Aecon, a construction company, working on the nuclear plant's refurbishment.

"They have huge needs in terms of millwrights, boilermakers, electricians and a number of areas where our employees are especially suited to that type of work and have great experience," Paterson said.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.