Afternoon shift at GM Lordstown to be laid off March 30, not April 6

LORDSTOWN — The afternoon shift at the General Motors’ assembly plant is being laid off a week earlier than previously announced.

Workers will be laid off March 30, instead of April 6.

Chris Lee, a GM spokesman, said the change was made to improve the training of workers who will be on new jobs.

The day and afternoon shifts have been alternating since February, with one shift working and the other shift being off. That arrangement was to continue until the afternoon shift was terminated.

GM has decided, however, that it would be better to have both shifts on duty at the same time for one week, Lee said. So next week, all workers will be on the day shift so that workers who are moving to new jobs can be shown how to do the jobs, he said.

GM has already canceled its midnight shift, which was added last year.

When the afternoon shift is gone, the complex will have laid off about 2,800 of its 4,200 hourly workers.

Reductions are being made throughout GM as the company deals with a steep drop off in vehicle sales. The Lordstown complex produces the Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5.