OSHAWA, Ont. (CP) -- The union is calling it a dark day for thousands of autoworkers in Oshawa, Ont., where a GM truck plant is shutting down after 44 years.
Chris Buckley, president of Canadian Auto Workers Local 222, says visiting the plant today was like going to a wake to pay final respects to a loved-one.
He says many workers had tears running down their cheeks as the last pickup truck rolled off the assembly line.
The plant is closing after churning out more than 10 million vehicles since 1965.
Buckley blamed all levels of government for the plant's closure and took specific aim at international trade policies for causing the auto industry to deteriorate.
The last truck will be raffled off to a plant worker and the money will be donated to charity.