Over 500 GM Employees Laid Off And Awaiting Transfers Following Wave Of Plant Closures

GM’s decision to idle five North American plants put thousands of workers in jeopardy, but the company has been making steady progress in transferring employees to other locations.

While the situation is pretty bleak north of the boarder, the Detroit Free Press reports only 508 hourly employees are currently laid off in the United States and awaiting transfers.

The math is complex and somewhat counterintuitive, but GM spokesperson Dan Flores told the publication that 593 hourly employees from the Detroit-Hamtramck have transferred following the end of Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Volt production. While the plant was scheduled to close on June 1st, that date has been pushed back to January so the company can continue to build the Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Impala. As a result, 700 hourly employees are still on the job and will remain there for several more months.

The Lordstown Assembly plant wrapped up production of the Chevrolet Cruze in March and it appears most of the laid off employees come from there. Last November, GM said Lordstown had 1,435 hourly employees and now the company says 670 have been transferred.

More layoffs are likely in the future as Flores said the Baltimore Operations center in Maryland will close this week. So far, only 14 of the plant’s 253 hourly employees have signed up for transfers.

The Warren Transmission Operations center in Michigan is slated to close in August and only 28 of the 265 people working there are scheduled for a transfer. That’s little more than 10% of the workforce, but the plant will remain open for a few more months.

Also Read: GM Adding 400 Jobs At Corvette Plant For C8 Production

Speaking of transfers, employees are going to multiple facilities in several different states. As more facilities close, new opening will pop up as GM is creating jobs to support the launch of the next-generation Corvette in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company will also begin hiring employees in Arlington, Texas as it prepares to launch the next-generation Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe / Suburban and GMC Yukon / Yukon XL.

Of course, not everyone can move – in some cases several states away – at the drop of the hat. The figures also don’t include salaried employees who worked at the plants and suppliers who lost their jobs as a result of the closures.  This means countless people and communities will feel the affects for years to come.