Ford and General Motors lay off nearly 500 workers

Both companies let several of their employees go from factories that are on strike. Ford laid off 330 people while GM cut 164 positions.

Imagen de la huelga de fabricantes de automóvil en la que participan empleados de Ford, Ge — (Cordon Press)

Published by

Rosana Rábago Sainz

3 de octubre, 2023

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Ford and General Motors took severe action after the UAW decided to expand its strike to several factories. Both companies laid off nearly 500 workers.

Specifically, CNN reported that Ford laid off 330 people at the Chicago Stamping Plant and its Lima Engine Plant. The decision was made after the Chicago manufacturing plant, responsible for manufacturing Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviators, joined the strike. Currently, 2,000 striking workers have lost their jobs due to the strike. The company said in a statement that these decisions were made because all the plants are "interconnected" with each other:

Our production system is highly interconnected, which means the UAW’s targeted strike strategy has knock-on effects for facilities that are not directly targeted for a work stoppage.

General Motors lays off 164 employees

General Motors laid off 164 workers at its stamping plants located in Parma (Ohio) and Marion (Indiana). The company issued a statement saying that these factories are responsible for sending stamped metal parts to the Wentzville (Ohio) facility and Lansing Delta Assembly (Michigan), plants that are also currently on strike and that are responsible for manufacturing Chevrolet Colorados and GMC Canyons as well as Chevy Traverses and Buick Enclaves:

The UAW leadership’s decision to call a strike at GM Wentzville Assembly, and now GM Lansing Delta Township Assembly, continues to have negative ripple effects.

In addition, company spokesman David Barnas said in statements reported by the Detroit Free Press that none of the employees who lost their jobs due to the UAW strike (and there are approximately 2,000 people) will be able to get their jobs back until the end of the strike:

The affected team members are not expected to return until the strike has been resolved. Since we are working under an expired labor agreement, there are no provisions for company-provided SUB-pay in this circumstance. We have said repeatedly that nobody wins in a strike, and this is yet another demonstration of that fact. We will continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.