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More Layoffs Hit the GM Plant
Posted: 10:45 PM Mar 29, 2009
Last Updated: 2:36 AM Mar 30, 2009
Reporter: Lacey Steele
Email Address: lacey.steele@wbko.com
Related Video: VetteTube - Corvette Videos, Corvette Crashes, Corvette Burnouts, Corvette Racing
The struggle hits home as more layoffs are scheduled to begin this week at the GM plant here in Bowling Green.
Sixty-eight employees have taken a buyout option to leave the company.
Hundreds more have been told they may have up to six weeks away from the plant.
We spoke to one employee who says it's what many at GM have been preparing for.
Patrick Klein is an hourly employee with GM, just one of many hit hard by recent layoffs.
"We're just taking it basically one day, one week at a time," said Klein.
UAW employees with GM had the option of taking a buyout if they met certain age and years of service requirements.
Those who did not fit the requirements will have a two week layoff beginning this week followed by three weeks of production then another 2 week layoff and more weeks of production.
"And then it's going to kind of see-saw that way up until the corporate shut down at the end of June and into July," said Klein. "We have not been told anything beyond that.
Klein says the layoffs are to keep their production equal to what consumers are buying.
"We've been pretty even since the first of the year when we had that five to six week shutdown," said Klein. "Since we've come back from that, our sales versus what we've actually built have been pretty even, and I think that this shutdown is to keep it that way and also to not build too many 2009 model Corvettes."
They're layoffs Klein says he and many other employees expected.
"I'm not at all surprised," said Klein. "Just deal with it the way we've always dealt with unexpected shutdowns, layoffs, things like that. You just have to roll with it. That's part of being in this business, in the auto industry."
The buyouts and layoffs will only affect employees with United Auto Workers not salaried workers with GM.
Posted: 10:45 PM Mar 29, 2009
Last Updated: 2:36 AM Mar 30, 2009
Reporter: Lacey Steele
Email Address: lacey.steele@wbko.com
Related Video: VetteTube - Corvette Videos, Corvette Crashes, Corvette Burnouts, Corvette Racing
The struggle hits home as more layoffs are scheduled to begin this week at the GM plant here in Bowling Green.
Sixty-eight employees have taken a buyout option to leave the company.
Hundreds more have been told they may have up to six weeks away from the plant.
We spoke to one employee who says it's what many at GM have been preparing for.
Patrick Klein is an hourly employee with GM, just one of many hit hard by recent layoffs.
"We're just taking it basically one day, one week at a time," said Klein.
UAW employees with GM had the option of taking a buyout if they met certain age and years of service requirements.
Those who did not fit the requirements will have a two week layoff beginning this week followed by three weeks of production then another 2 week layoff and more weeks of production.
"And then it's going to kind of see-saw that way up until the corporate shut down at the end of June and into July," said Klein. "We have not been told anything beyond that.
Klein says the layoffs are to keep their production equal to what consumers are buying.
"We've been pretty even since the first of the year when we had that five to six week shutdown," said Klein. "Since we've come back from that, our sales versus what we've actually built have been pretty even, and I think that this shutdown is to keep it that way and also to not build too many 2009 model Corvettes."
They're layoffs Klein says he and many other employees expected.
"I'm not at all surprised," said Klein. "Just deal with it the way we've always dealt with unexpected shutdowns, layoffs, things like that. You just have to roll with it. That's part of being in this business, in the auto industry."
The buyouts and layoffs will only affect employees with United Auto Workers not salaried workers with GM.
