Lordstown, Ohio, will stop producing the Chevrolet Cruze in March 2019 but the future of the plant could be saved during contract negotiations with the UAW.
“Plant closings are a matter of negotiations between GM and the United Auto Workers,” Pat Morrissey, a GM spokesman, told The Detroit Bureau.
“At this point, the plants are ‘unallocated,’” which, under the language of the current union/management contract, means there is still the possibility GM will move forward and allocate new product there as part of the next agreement.”
GM deallocated three car factories last month, and aimed to cut its white collar US workforce by 15% or 15,000 jobs.
With the union contract due for negotiation in 2019, its possible Lordstown or the other plants could be saved with new product or the consolidating production of other marginal products. It’s not clear what new product could be made in Lordstown, with any future EVs beyond the Bolt not due in the near future.
Source: The Detroit Bureau
