Council takes up the fight to get another vehicle to replace the Chevy Cruze

Officials vow to take up fight to get Cruze replacement

Staff report

WARREN

City council approved a resolution Monday night expressing its support for the workers of the Lordstown GM assembly plant and vowing to “take up this fight” to get another vehicle to replace the Chevy Cruze.

But council President Jim Graham, former president of United Auto Workers Union Local 1112 at the plant, said he wants to make the presentation of the resolution to General Motors at the next Warren City Council meeting Dec. 12 a rallying cry for the entire area.

“It’s extremely important that this legislative body and all legislative bodies follow this lead,” he said.

He asked that all of the legislators listed on the resolution – U.S. senators and representatives, state senators and representatives, county commissioners and the governor and governor-elect – be invited and urged to attend the meeting.

And Graham urged councils in other area communities – he named Youngstown and Niles, for example – to also attend.

“This affects the whole state. There are thousands of jobs throughout the state, in addition to the jobs locally,” he said of the announced end of production of the Cruze and the elimination of the 1,618 jobs at the plant.

GM will cease production of the Chevrolet Cruze and indefinitely idle the plant beginning March 1. Experts note that beyond the workers expected to be impacted at the plant and other local companies GM contracts with, the effect of the shutdown will ripple across other companies in the plant’s supply chain, into other industries and to communities beyond the Valley.

Law Director Greg Hicks said other communities have asked for a copy of the Warren resolution in order to make their own statement about the importance of the plant to the community.

The resolution was approved 8-0.

U.S. Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced Monday they will meet Wednesday afternoon with General Motors CEO Mary Barra in Portman’s office to urge GM to work with them to save the jobs at the Lordstown Assembly Plant.

Both Brown and Portman previously have spoken with Barra and said they have proposed solutions that would help keep the plant operating in Lordstown.