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Workers may get chance to return to home plants
LORDSTOWN
As many as 250 workers at the General Motors plants in Lordstown may get a chance to return home after transferring here a few years ago.
Between 175 and 200 members of United Auto Workers Local 1112 may get the option to return to a plant nearer to their home, said Glenn Johnson, Local 1112 president.
“This will not be a mass exodus. It will have to be done according to the national labor-agreement procedures,” he said. “It will be based on openings at their home plant and seniority.”
Local union members will receive a letter of notice when an opportunity is available, Johnson said. Then they will have time to make a decision and potentially relocate to a new plant.
The bulk of the workers who transferred to Lords-town were from the Detroit area, but there also are a number from the East Coast, he said.
“We have 17 plants represented in our plant,” Johnson said.
The opportunity to transfer will depend on what’s going on at individual facilities and how many openings they have, he said.
“I don’t have information about individual plants, but we’ve been reaching out to some people in our inner circle to find their take on what’s happening,” Johnson said.
Despite the lack of knowledge about when the opportunity might occur, it’s still good news that some employees may be able to return to plants closer to their homes, he said.
“The union has always supported allowing employees to work closer to home,” Johnson said.
Dave Green, president of UAW Local 1714, said about 50 members eventually may be given the opportunity to transfer.
Initial estimates were that 250 to 300 workers between the two unions would be interested in relocating closer to home if the opportunity presented itself.
“Some people, for whatever reason, have changed their mind,” Green said.
The Lordstown plant began receiving transfers during the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009.
General Motors had a number of employees who had been laid off for some time. They were given the option to transfer to Lords-town or other GM plants depending on the situation or they would lose their benefits.
Many have worked in the area and driven home on weekends, holidays and during shutdowns to be with family.
Any positions that are vacated would be filled by current temporary employees, Johnson said.
Companywide, GM relocated 6,500 employees from their home plants, according to a letter sent in late June when union members were being asked about their interest in transferring by Joe Ashton, UAW vice president, and Cathy Clegg, vice president of GM labor relations.
Thomas Mock, GM spokesman for the Lords-town plant, declined to comment.