LORDSTOWN GM will reduce size of force

GM has decided it doesn't need two salaried staffs in Lordstown.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
LORDSTOWN -- General Motors is looking to cut back salaried workers as it trims production at its fabricating plant in Lordstown.
The plant, which stamps metal parts for GM assembly plants around the country, will supply only the adjacent Lordstown Assembly Plant starting next year, said Mary Irby, a GM spokeswoman.
The two Lordstown plants will operate as one unit, called the GM Lordstown Complex.
Fewer salaried workers will be needed as GM combines support staffs from the two plants, Irby said. The complex will no longer have separate staffs for quality control, human resources and other functions, she said.
GM doesn't know, however, how many fewer workers will be needed, she said. Planning for the consolidation will be done early next year, with the complete transition to be completed by March 2005, she said.
No layoffs
Employees have been told this week that there will be no layoffs, she said. Any salaried worker who loses a job will be offered another job with GM, she said. Early retirement offers also are being considered.
The fabricating plant has about 200 salaried jobs, while the assembly plant has about 300.
Irby said more jobs probably would be cut from the fabricating plant than the assembly plant, but no decisions have been made.
One complex manager will oversee the operation, but it isn't known who that will be, Irby said. Typically, the fabricating plant manager reports to the complex manager, she said.
Now, Maureen Midgley is manager of the assembly plant, while Bruce Pierson is manager of the fabricating plant.
Irby said the consolidation only deals with the salaried staff and shouldn't affect the hourly workers. She said GM expects the United Auto Workers to maintain two locals in Lordstown.
Jim Kaster, president of UAW Local 1714 at the fabricating plant, could not be reached to comment this morning.
Making the reduction
GM and union leaders at both plants have said previously, however, that GM will reduce the number of workers as they retire. GM is making both plants more efficient with the installation of new machinery and manufacturing techniques during the $500 million overhaul of the two plants.
The assembly plant employs about 4,000, while the fabricating plant has about 1,800 hourly workers.
GM will begin producing new models, the Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac Pursuit, from the assembly plant next year.
Irby said GM thinks that having the fabricating plant produce parts only for those cars will make operations more efficient and improve quality and work flow. Production of parts for other cars will be moved to other GM fabricating plants.
Irby said GM has other fabricating plants that it has turned into plants that make parts for only one assembly plant. But some plants, such as one in Mansfield, will continue to make parts for a variety of plants, she said.
shilling@vindy.com