GM to close stamping plant near Grand Rapids
10-13-2008, 04:07 PM
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GM to close stamping plant near Grand Rapids DETROIT - The U.S. automotive sales slump worked its way to two Midwestern automaking towns Monday when General Motors Corp. announced it would close a Michigan metal stamping plant and stop making sport utility vehicles in Wisconsin by the end of the year.
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Workers at the Grand Rapids Metal Center in suburban Wyoming were told Monday that it will close by the end of 2009. The plant employs about 1,340 hourly and 180 salaried workers, GM spokesman Tony Sapienza said.
In Janesville, Wis., workers got the news Monday that SUV production at the plant, with 1,200 employees represented by the United Auto Workers, will end Dec. 23. The closure is earlier than GM had expected, but was necessary because of declining sales, GM spokesman Chris Lee said.
The Janesville plant also has a small- to medium-duty truck production line with 35 to 50 workers. They will keep working until they have filled an order for Isuzu Motors Ltd., which should take the plant through May or June, Lee said. Then the plant "will cease operations completely," he said.
Workers at both plants will get most of their pay from the company and unemployment benefits for up to two years under their union contract. They will have the option of transferring to other GM factories if jobs are open.
Most of the Janesville factory makes the GMC Yukon and the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban large SUVs, and sales of those vehicles have plummeted with an increase in gasoline prices to around $4 per gallon earlier this year. Gas prices have subsided closer to $3 per gallon nationwide, but that has done little to boost sales.
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Workers at the Grand Rapids Metal Center in suburban Wyoming were told Monday that it will close by the end of 2009. The plant employs about 1,340 hourly and 180 salaried workers, GM spokesman Tony Sapienza said.
In Janesville, Wis., workers got the news Monday that SUV production at the plant, with 1,200 employees represented by the United Auto Workers, will end Dec. 23. The closure is earlier than GM had expected, but was necessary because of declining sales, GM spokesman Chris Lee said.
The Janesville plant also has a small- to medium-duty truck production line with 35 to 50 workers. They will keep working until they have filled an order for Isuzu Motors Ltd., which should take the plant through May or June, Lee said. Then the plant "will cease operations completely," he said.
Workers at both plants will get most of their pay from the company and unemployment benefits for up to two years under their union contract. They will have the option of transferring to other GM factories if jobs are open.
Most of the Janesville factory makes the GMC Yukon and the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban large SUVs, and sales of those vehicles have plummeted with an increase in gasoline prices to around $4 per gallon earlier this year. Gas prices have subsided closer to $3 per gallon nationwide, but that has done little to boost sales.
10-15-2008, 07:59 PM
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thats some crap, I used to live right down the street from that place. Too bad too we were thinking about moving back mid 09 too. That'll make things even crappier around there for work.... So many plants there have already closed. What a shame