GM to recall 600 workers in Oshawa to build 2011 Buick Regal

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The new Opel Astra on the first press day of the Frankfurt Auto Show on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009.

Kristine Owram

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Approximately 600 laid-off workers will be recalled at the General Motors plant in Oshawa, Ont., in 2011 to begin production of the company's new Buick Regal.

Production of the Regal will require an additional shift at the plant, which will allow half of the 1,200 workers currently on layoff to be re-hired, said Chris Buckley, president of Canadian Auto Workers Local 222 in Oshawa.

"It is good news for a large number of our laid-off members as we start producing this vehicle," Buckley said.

The 2011 Regal is a mid-size sport sedan based on the design of GM's Opel Insignia, which was named as the 2009 European car of the year.

"It brings all of Insignia's award-winning design, technology and European-inspired performance capabilities to the North American market," the company said in a news release.

Production of the new Buick Regal, first reported as a possibility several months ago, is good news for GM Canada, which closed a truck plant in Oshawa and said it would shutter a transmission plant in Windsor, Ont., next year.

However, the outlook as improved in recent months.

The Oshawa plant has been running overtime shifts since June to produce GM's popular Chevrolet Camaro and, beginning in 2011, will produce the Camaro Convertible. It also produces the Chevrolet Impala.

Other good news for Canadian plants includes the recent addition of a third shift plus overtime at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ont., to keep up with demand for the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. The CAMI plant is a joint venture between GM and Suzuki.

GM Canada has also introduced flexible transmission production at its St. Catharines, Ont., facility to assemble a fuel-efficient six-speed front-wheel-drive transmission.

The new Buick Regal joins the Chevrolet Camaro, the Equinox and the GMC Terrain as the fourth new vehicle in the production commitment that was part of GM's agreement with the Canadian and Ontario governments, which provided the company with $10.5 billion in emergency loans.

A fifth vehicle will be named at a later date.

General Motors of Canada employs 9,000 people across the country.

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