Union: Layoffs will ripple through Valley
By LARRY RINGLER and CHRISTOPHER BOBBY Tribune ChronicleArticle Photos
LORDSTOWN - The ripple effect of recession-linked cutbacks at the General Motors Corp. Lordstown Complex will be felt among suppliers to the giant carmaking factory, a union leader said Friday.
Jim Graham, president of United Auto Workers Local 1112 at the Lordstown assembly plant, estimated 150 to 200 workers at four plants that supply car parts will be laid off indefinitely due to a second round of cutbacks at the Lordstown Complex.
The four UAW-represented suppliers - Lear, Intier, Automodular and Jamestown - employ 400 to 450 union members combined, Graham said. The companies make a range of parts, including seats, door pads and fascias, for the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 small cars.
The latest GM Lordstown layoffs total 890 on top of nearly 1,100 announced a month ago. The reduction will eliminate the third shift that began in early August and extend the plant's shutdown that starts Dec. 24 to Feb. 2 instead of the previous Jan. 20.
Graham said 700 to 750 workers are expected to be idled from the assembly plant on top of the nearly 900 who were set to be sidelined in the first round of layoffs.
Layoffs at the next-door Metal Center stamping and fabricating plant are expected to total 154 production workers in addition to the 130 in the first round, according to Dave Green, president of Local 1714. He said an unknown number of skilled trades workers will boost that total.
The furloughs, which were announced to workers starting at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, will continue until ''we see how the market responds,'' complex spokesman Tom Mock said.
The new cutbacks stem from an economy that gives little hope for a turnaround, officials said.
''It's a state of fear on the economy level that we haven't seen for a generation, if not more,'' Mock said. ''Until we can restimulate the economy, it'll be difficult for our industry and others. We're hoping measures can be taken that will reinvigorate consumer confidence.''
Sales of the Chevrolet Cobalt tumbled 53.6 percent to 6,319 in November from the same month in 2007, the fewest since the car was being launched in November 2004. Pontiac G5 sales plummeted 50.1 percent to 1,083.
Year-to-date Cobalt sales fell 4.2 percent to 175,259 and 9.6 percent for the G5 to 22,975.
Graham said his members ''are depressed,'' adding he's trying to stay positive that GM can get a multibillion dollar bridge loan to help tide it over until sales improve, perhaps by the traditional start of buying in March.
Chief executives of the domestic Big 3 automakers - GM, Ford and Chrysler - testified for a second day Friday in Congress for a total of $34 billion in loans.
Green said his members recognize the hard times facing the company ''through no fault of their own. Demand and gas prices are down.''
Car production will be halved to around 750 a day to counter bloated inventories that have reached 200 days supply of the Cobalt and G5 at the current sales pace, Mock said.
The factory will resume operation with about 2,200 workers from 4,250. Depending on their seniority and recent layoff history, idled workers will receive about 90 percent of their pay through state unemployment benefits and Supplementary Unemployment Benefit, which comes from GM, Green said.
A waitress at A&J's Diner simply blurted out ''oh, oh,'' after hearing rumors brought in early Friday from her regular customer, Kyle Kilby, who just got off work at the third shift at the nearby General Motors plant.
The employee at the diner was worried she would no longer be needed to serve breakfast if the automaker discontinued the third shift.
And Kilby, 44, said he only heard rumors while working all night before heading to get his two eggs over easy and French toast.
''Only six months and I'm gonna get laid off?'' Kilby said, sipping his coffee and contemplating his next move.
Kilby said he had worked 12 years at a chicken processing plant in Tennessee and 10 years at a Delphi plant outside of Dayton before transferring here to work on the third, or night, shift at GM, where he works on the motor line fastening a bracket on engines before they're mounted in the car frames.
''Seven other guys transferring over here with me. I just hope I get credit for GM seniority back to 1997,'' Kilby said, explaining that he heard no formal announcement overnight that was reported to be broadcast over closed-circuit television inside the plant to those on the line.
''All I heard was we're all supposed to shutdown Dec. 19 and when he get back in first week of February there will only be two shifts,'' he said.
A divorcee, Kilby said he opted for the transfer when Delphi was sold to Tenneco. He quickly rented an apartment close to the plant here but he still owns a house near Dayton and wonders whether to put his place up for sale.
The Lordstown furloughs are part of nearly 2,000 layoffs GM announced Friday. About 390 are scheduled to be sidelined at the Orion Township, Mich., plant, with another 700 at the Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, factory.
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Billdog
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12-09-08 1:49 PM
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You all have lost your minds.
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semomof2
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12-07-08 8:51 PM
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feuz: So, you believe American cars are junk and foreign cars are so much better? Did you know that the Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Corolla are the same car? They are made in the same factory in California - just like the Cobalt and G5 in Lordstown.
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feuz1019
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12-07-08 6:21 PM
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MD I will be just fine in 2009, if I lose my job well I will just visit everyone else at the unemployment lines and food lines. Karma and I dated once, I think that was her name, anyways continue buying GM junk I will stick with my Honda and japanese made vehicles.
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MD1533USMC
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12-07-08 1:25 AM
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FEUZ1019, you better watch out! What goes around comes around! Karma! I would not want to be you! Wait till you see what 2009 has in store for YOU!
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feuz1019
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12-07-08 1:10 AM
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Can you feel the trembling, its the ripple effect of a poorly run company and a greey union who does not give a crap about its members. Yeah add a third shift they said, bring in 1400 more workers they said, idiots, now look what you have done. GM does not want to build cars here in the US anymore they are planning on building cars in Russia (Cruze) and elsewhere, ship them over here and they just made their money back two-fold. When are you people going to wakeup and stop buying American made crap from American companies who hate their workers and start buying Japanese Cars who love their American workers. Do you hear Honda, Kia, or Toyota closing plants or laying off employees, no my suggesstion go South Baby Go South.
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PaGuyNow
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12-06-08 8:04 PM
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lol @ Band, so they can get down there to all the new jobs, huh?
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MD1533USMC
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12-06-08 5:47 PM
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Thank God you people are not running this country! It would even be worse then this terrible Congress we have if you where! Period! God Bless our Valley! Lord only knows we need it! Period!
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BandBNOLA
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12-06-08 5:32 PM
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YOU people all need a new car lol .
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BandBNOLA
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12-06-08 5:30 PM
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WE have crime in New Orleans but we also have over 5,800 new jobs in Nov.
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redhead
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12-06-08 4:03 PM
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PaGuyNow since you've been all over the world why don't you go live somewhere besides America where according to you we are a bunch of uneducated hillbillies. You want to be enlightened of the real sad truth as you call it....you are ignorant. You speak like someone who sounds somewhat intelligent yet the garbage that you spew it of course based on more un-fact surrounding the publics perception of the GM autoworker. There are probably more educated people at GM than at any office building in this area. You of course are going to pick the few jackoffs that are drunks, drugies, and theives that are at GM, which I might add exist in any profession and lump us all in the same catagory. You really are uneducated, I'm so glad you at least got that right. But in the future give your opinions based on facts not your little imaginary world. It makes for better dialogue for those of us that who speak based on truth not make believe.
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PaGuyNow
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12-06-08 2:58 PM
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...but we can turn out drug dealers, rapists, murderers, junkies, and other dregs of society like no other, that's for sure!! lol
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PaGuyNow
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12-06-08 2:56 PM
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lol Dreams, my stand is: MOST people in this country are uneducated hillbillies, myself included. We've just been kept too stupid by the system to know it, thats all. And the hillbilly term comes from, the stereotypical image of "The Hillbilly" that we have been taught since we were kids...you know, primitive, dumb, unkempt, etc. I've been all over the world, I've met many people from many cultures, and therefore I know where the level of intellect in this country stands compared to others. Thank heaven for India, China, Russia, etc. Otherwise, we'd have no doctors, professors, engineers, scientists, etc. You know, the positions that require intelligence. Oh, and thank heaven for the many hispanic immigrants relocating here too, otherwise, we'd have no qualified laborers either. ...just the sad truth, thats all.
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autoworker
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12-06-08 2:46 PM
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uneducated hillbillies even know its not gm and uaw's fault that we are in a recession and cars are not selling....the reason for whats going on.
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autoworker
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12-06-08 2:44 PM
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uneducated hillbillies even know its not gm and uaw's fault that we are in a recession and cars are selling....the reason for whats going on.
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zipcityboy
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12-06-08 2:02 PM
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COME TO LORDSTOWN on the LORD’S DAY (Dec. 7) And again on Human Rights Day (Dec. 10) PRAYER VIGIL AND WALK For Our Jobs For Our Families For Our Communities For Our Future HIGH NOON DECEMBER 7 (also on December 10, Human Rights Day, same time) Gather at Main Gate off Bailey Road. Walk the entire perimeter of the GM Lordstown plant to pray that the Light from Above shines upon Decision-makers and blesses Automakers. Everyone is Welcome!
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BigDreams
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12-06-08 11:55 AM
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all Mexican's are illegal in this country, all black people sell drugs. Do I sound supid and ridiculous PaGuyNow? Of course I do. So all people in the UAW at Lordstown are "uneducated hillbillies"? It that your stand?
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BigDreams
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12-06-08 11:45 AM
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papergirl-don't let PaGuyNow get you worked up. If other people's suffering makes him happy, then who our we to try to convince him otherwise.
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papergirl
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12-06-08 10:59 AM
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I do have a job & pay taxes just like you . I don't consider myself deadweight. I chose to raise my kids and stay at home. I didn't say I deserve anything, I "APPRECIATE" the benefits I have and believe me I do see insurance bills & perscription bills & I pay them just like you. I guess you are just to ignorant to understand the ramifications to this area if GM folds.
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PaGuyNow
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12-06-08 9:33 AM
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TaxMan: You didn't detect the sarcasm in my post? lol
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PaGuyNow
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12-06-08 9:13 AM
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lol papergirl, it's dead weight like you that's contributing to the company's financial hardship. What's the total cost of your monthly prescriptions? Eh, you probably have no idea, you never see the bill. I cant blame GM for wanting to get rid of you, why should they support someone who never worked a single day for the(any) company. ...mooch, lol.
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papergirl
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12-06-08 8:42 AM
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Abuse Pawguynow. How ignorant of you to post your comments calling GM workers "uneducated hillbillies. You know nothing about these people. As a wife of a GM retiree, I can tell you we both have survived more on a life learned education than going to school. That wasn't possible for everyone. My kids all do have college educations & I am thankful for that. I am so tired of all the negative people on here condeming the UAW & GM. That company has done a lot for this area. . Sure some have lived beyound thir means, but for families like mine where we survived on one income we weren't taking those vacations, buying a home we couldn't afford or having a new car every 3 years like people today are. Do not put all people into one category. You are probably one of the new "generation" that has to have everything today & doesn't think about tomorrow. I hope you never have to worry about your job, but you never know. You probably couldn't handle it.
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papergirl
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12-06-08 8:35 AM
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Abuse Pawguynow. How ignorant of you to post your comments calling GM workers "uneducated hillbillies. You know nothing about these people. As a wife of a GM retiree, I can tell you we both have survived more on a life learned education than going to school. That wasn't possible for everyone. My kids all do have college educations & I am thankful for that. I am so tired of all the negative people on here condeming the UAW & GM. That company has done a lot for this area. . Sure some have lived beyound thir means, but for families like mine where we survived on one income we weren't taking those vacations, buying a home we couldn't afford or having a new car every 3 years like people today are. Do not put all people into one category. You are probably one of the new "generation" that has to have everything today & doesn't think about tomorrow. I hope you never have to worry about your job, but you never know. You probably couldn't handle it.
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SURV69
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12-06-08 8:27 AM
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I've been told, over and over again, that elections are determined in committees. For the most part, I believe this is true, for the committees determine who will be endoresed and the voting public(everywhere, but especially so, in this area), tend to vote their party, then the "endoresed" candidate. More often than not, the average voter has no idea(nor cares to know), what the person's agenda really is, so the "endorsement", is a way for the chosen party to introduce the chosen candidate as most-qualified. AN unknowing voter, standing in a booth, has 5-10 minutes to make up for the previous 3 months of not wanting facts to clutter his/her mind, so the vote goes to the best sounding name(not good), the candidate thats listed first(not good), the best looking candidate(not good),or the candidate which had signs that says he/she is the "endorsed" candidate of the area's party of choice(good?). We need discord in the political process to make it work.
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OldManGrump2
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12-06-08 7:43 AM
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The UAW union did it to themselves. If they hadn't been such pigs at the auto companies troughs for so many years, they would be competitive with pay & benefits with Toyota now, and not be in the pickle they are now. The Valley is in for a BIG hurt for a very long time. Layoffs all over and a need for more tax money to fund. Reminds me of the days when the steel mills closed and everyone knew nothing but BAD was about to happen. Just remember that it's customers who decide if they buy new cars or not, and customers have decided the economy will not allow them to buy new cars. That's why the layoff of 3rd shift, and has nothing to do with the auto company loan bailout.
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TaxMan
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12-06-08 4:25 AM
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I agree PaGuy, but who are we going to vote for? The government as we currently know it is a joke. Republican? Democrat? It doesn't matter. They are all in bed with each other. Education is the key and as long as America keeps getting dumber, we are going to become poor. No education, no money, no ability to stand up and fight for what is right. Until we get a strong, non-corrupt third party, this is as good as it is going to get. Unless "We The People" storm the White House and take back what is ours, but you and I know that will never happen.
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