General Motors (GM) could lay off almost 500 workers in a plan to reduce production at its CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, according to a Friday statement from Canadian union Unifor.

The automaker will begin temporary layoffs on April 14, and then employees will return in May for limited production, according to Unifor Local 88, which represents over 1,200 workers at the plant. After May, production will temporarily pause until October, and the company will complete retooling work to prepare the plant to build the 2026 model of commercial electric vehicles, the union said.

The union said that once production restarts in October, the plant will operate on a single shift for the foreseeable future, which would result in the indefinite layoff of almost 500 workers.

The adjustments are "directly related to responding to market demand and re-balancing inventory," General Motors said in a Friday statement to CTV News, adding that "production of BrightDrop and EV battery assembly will remain at CAMI" and that it will "support employees through the transition."

General Motors did not immediately reply to a request for comment from MT Newswires.

Shares were 0.5% lower in recent trading.

Price: 43.53, Change: -0.20, Percent Change: -0.47