GM Will Close Baltimore Plant in Mid-2005

[cthrumatrix]

GM Will Close Baltimore Plant in Mid-2005

By Steven Gray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 20, 2003; Page E01


General Motors Corp. plans to close its Baltimore plant in mid-2005, threatening the jobs of about 1,100 workers, a senior company official said yesterday.

The shutdown plan is included in a tentative four-year labor agreement that GM reached this week with the United Auto Workers. The company will announce the closing and provide details after the union ratifies the pact, which could take two weeks, the official said.

The union declined to comment.

The 68-year-old plant produces the Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari full-sized vans. Sales of both vehicles have declined so sharply in recent years that the plant had cut back from two shifts to one, the official said.

snip...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37236-2003Sep19.html

The reason given is that sales growth is NOT THERE. Hmmmmm.... number one I thought sales for SUV's was quite good (guess I'm wrong). Number two....how can they plan for a closing in 2005? Is sales growth going to keep declining for another year?

[asjr]

1. GM

I don't care what Alan Greenspan says, I think we are headed for a depression. I've been there as a child and I remember well. If this administration would just resign I think it would help morale. Maybe not our purses, but people would breath a sigh of relief. This closing may just bring us 1000 more Democratic voters.

[lanlady]

2. I don't think vans are considered SUVs

n/t

[radfringe]

3. but but but but but but

the economy is getting better.... right? :eyes:

It's a job-LOSS recovery
wonder how many more jobs will be lost before the economy is fully recovered....

[Racenut20]

4. Just what we need

More low wage fast food workers.

Economy would really go to hell if any of us learned to cook at home wouldn't it?

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Sad...

but not surprising. GM has a huge overcapacity at its assembly plants, and more will be shut. GM, moreso than the other companies, has been slow to upgrade the plants it has, and most of them are pretty inefficient. And, there are just too many of them.

Closing auto plants is a bitch under any circumstances, and UAW contracts don't make it any easier. The employees should be OK for a while, but then...

[jiacinto]

6. I wonder how many of these employees voted for Ehrlich (R)

last year.

[jus_the_facts]

7. GOOD.....shut the polluting s.o.b.'s down...shame they won't use.....

....this PLANT and its WORKERS to start manufacturing some kind of alternatives to the combustion engine :eyes: