Good news at Lordstown is good news for all

Good news at Lordstown is good news for all

General Motors has had its ups and downs — especially some quite dramatic downs — in recent years, and so it is good to see an upward jump in employment at the GM manufacturing and fabricating plants at Lordstown.

Lordstown remains the largest economic engine the Valley has, even though the GM presence here is a shadow of what it was 20 years ago.

The announcement that General Motors is recalling 1,000 line workers and 50 salaried workers at Lordstown means an infusion of several millions of dollars a month into the local economy.

And those dollars spread throughout the Valley as well-paid workers buy goods and services. Local and county governments realize increased sales and income taxes, helping to balance their stressed budgets.

Meanwhile, a multi-million dollar retooling project continues at Lordstown as the plant prepares to make a transition from its popular Cobalt economy car to a slightly larger but still fuel-efficient new model, the Cruze.

Encouraging signs

In this economy, nothing is written in stone. But the signs are encouraging. Some analysts are saying that the worst of the recession is behind us. Lordstown will have nearly 3,000 people working now to restock inventories that were drained by the popularity of Cash for Clunkers program and getting ready for an exciting spring launch of its new product.

Jim Graham, president of the United Auto Workers Local 1112, and David Green, president of the United Auto Workers Local 1714, both believe the new second shift is more than a temporary uptick.

This area has been notoriously behind the rest of the nation in recovering from a bad economy. Even with more jobs at Lordstown, the local economy is taking a hit on another front. Thousands of retired employees at the former Packard Electric Division of GM face cuts in pension payments and loss of health coverage. State officials and area congressional representatives have pledged support for the former Delphi workers, and their success in protecting the semblance of a middle-class lifestyle for those retirees will have an important impact on the Valley’s economy.