LORDSTOWN, Ohio– General Motors will close its plant in Lordstown early next year.
Employees were called to report to the plant Monday morning where they were informed of the move, sources told the FOX 8 I-Team.
Earlier this year, the second and third shifts at GM Lordstown were cut with employees being offered buyouts. The Chevrolet Cruze is built at the Trumbull County complex.
In a news release on Monday, GM said the assembly plants at Lordstown, Detroit and Ontario, and the propulsion plants in White Marsh, Maryland and Warren, Michigan will be “unallocated” in 2019.
About 14,700, including 6,000 factory workers, will be laid off because of the five plant closures.
“This callous decision by GM to reduce or cease operations in American plants, while opening or increasing production in Mexico and China plants for sales to American consumers, is, in its implementation, profoundly damaging to our American workforce,” said Terry Dittes, UAW Vice President, Director GM Department, in a news release.
GM, the largest automaker in the U.S. and includes the Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC brands, said the moves will save $6 billion in cash by the end of next year, including $4.5 billion in recurring annual cost reductions and a $1.5 billion reduction in capital spending.
Those cuts are in addition to $6.5 billion that the company has announced by the end of this year.
“The actions we are taking today continue our transformation to be highly agile, resilient and profitable, while giving us the flexibility to invest in the future,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “We recognize the need to stay in front of changing market conditions and customer preferences to position our company for long-term success.”
The union and the community are starting a “Drive it Home’ campaign to convince GM to stay in Lordstown.
More stories on the Lordstown GM plant here
