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GM Lordstown Factory Will Be In A ‘State Of Readiness’

The GM Lordstown factory goes idle today as the final Chevrolet Cruze leaves the assembly line. The plant, officially scheduled to idle Friday, March 8, will remain in a “state of readiness,” according to GM spokesman Dan Flores who spoke with the Associated Press. That means the factory will remain heated and maintained in the coming months, ready to produce once again at a moment’s notice.

However, operations at the facility aren’t complete just yet. Some production at the GM Lordstown plant will continue for the most of March. The factory’s parts-stamping operations will continue, producing fenders and other replacement parts.

The Lordstown facility, and two other U.S. GM factories, are scheduled to idle ahead of negotiations between General Motors and the United Auto Workers union later this year. These negotiations will determine the final fate of the GM Lordstown factory and others. A fourth factory, GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck was scheduled to end operations this year; however, the automaker extended operations, continuing production of the Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Impala. 

Final Chevrolet Cruze at Lordstown assembly plant

The UAW is fighting to keep the factories open as agreed upon in its contract with General Motors. The UAW filed a lawsuit against GM alleging the automaker violated the agreement by calling idled plants “unallocated” as opposed to idled, shutdown or closed. If the UAW won its lawsuit, it’d only keep the three plants operating through the end of the contract. Anything can happen to production at the facilities once negotiations are underway. 

While General Motors will keep the factory in a “state of readiness,” its future remains murky. Even though operations could resume at the factory, as Flores said, it may be a false hope for the community. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) said he believes GM is looking for someone to take over the Lordstown factory. Detailed plans likely won’t emerge until contract negotiations begin later this year with the UAW. 

Anthony Alaniz was a GM Authority contributor between from 2018 thru 2019.

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Comments

  1. This is what I have been saying for a while.

    GM has to go into talks here before full closure. Also the UAW local here has a much better relationship with GM than Oshawas Unifor.

    GM just does not have a model for this plant that can be moved here immediately. It takes time when a plant closes unexpectedly.

    We saw this at Spring Hill where it close post Saturn but today is making SUV models for here and export.

    Nothing is garateed here but at least there is a chance. Getting the right product at the right time and the union bidding well on the contract have to happen.

    Lordstown got the deal for the Cruze as it was a prize and reward. Neither side saw the sedan market crash. I know GM likes the local and if something can work out they will try but it will not happen overnight.

    As for Oshawa they have no hope as the union sealed their fate. They are no longer of any value when GM has other plants and locals that are of greater value to them they can choose.

    Reply
  2. Mazda / Toyota just broke ground on its $1.6B plant in Huntsville
    Nissan’s Smyrna plant adding jobs, more than $150M in upgrades
    Subaru Lafayette running at capacity, adding jobs
    VW Chattanooga adding 1,000 new jobs for EV production.
    Toyota adding jobs at its Corolla plant.

    None of these companies suckle on the government teet; all stand on their own two feet selling quality cars built in the USA. It pertains to GM because GM is too inept to do anything even remotely comparable.

    Reply
    1. They also did not have 100 years of legacy issues related to old plants, Bad union contracts, union plants and over capacity.

      But they all were nearly destroyed in 1945 and were all propped up with all new plants and infrastructure by the American forces after the war were we bombed their old plants to dust.

      So when you really do your history they got their suckle at the tit of us tax payers in 1945 and basically got a total redo at the expense of the US and British Tax payer.

      Did they pay us back with interest no.

      Reply
      1. Are you suggesting letting the communists run all of Germany and leaving Japan open to more Chinese aggression would have been the better option than rebuilding and creating a western sphere of influence in those countries? The relationship America enjoys with Germany and Japan today is more valuable than any monetary repayment that could be made.

        Reply
    2. Don’t forget FCA’s new plant in Detroit and billion dollar upgrades in other Michigan plants. All Barra can come up with is a few million for some new automation in GM’s plants.

      Reply
  3. If things get worse for GM/Chevy, its last customers will be ones that like and cling to its tradition. It’s an analog to the past Sears/Craftsman: people buying USA-made value. Even if not possible in all cases, VSS should make it easier to plan multi-model, 200k, 2 shift +o.t. plants for the US.

    Lordstown used to build vans. I want to think positively here. Re-tool it for Silverado/Sierra. Make all the full-size trucks domestically and make it known.

    Some posters nit-pick about content towards Chevy. Maybe they had already made up their mind (on not buying) and don’t realize it. I also think they botched the trim features on my CTD. But, it’s been an outstanding car (and unmatched as a fuel-sipper on trips).

    Thank you Lordstown workers and GM for a great vehicle.

    Reply

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